Could buying Twitter be an act of hubris that jeopardises Elon Musk’s startup empire?
In the two weeks since the social media company’s board accepted his $44bn offer, there are concerns that the world’s richest man is biting off more than he can chew. They have ranged from whether he will be stretched too thin in taking on another company, to risks from mortgaging or selling some of his large personal Tesla stake, and worries about a political backlash over the “free speech” abolutism he has promised at Twitter.
In a wide-ranging interview at the FT’s Future of the Car Summit on Tuesday, Musk swatted away questions about whether Twitter will weigh on his wider business interests while he grapples with the huge issues confronting electric car maker Tesla.