Elon Musk's Friend And LinkedIn Co-founder Was Once Skeptical Of Twitter Deal — 'Oh My God, Another Huge Problem'

Zinger Key Points
  • Elon Musk's Twitter deal has not got the unanimous backing even within his inner circle, according to an Axios podcast.
  • A trial on Twitter's lawsuit to enforce the deal is set to begin on Oct. 17.

As Twitter, Inc. TWTR strives to use all the levers to enforce the $44 billion taking-private deal from Elon Musk, it has emerged that some of the billionaire’s friends weren’t in favor of the proposed purchase.

What Happened: Musk’s friend and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman expressed his concerns about the deal in an Axios “How It Happened” podcast interview, according to Business Insider.

“I read the tweet and I think I had the reaction of most people, it was like, ‘Oh my God, another huge problem. He’s already dealing with a large number,’” Hoffman said in the podcast.

Hoffman, however, had a different view later. He said. “I was one of the people who thought he couldn't do both Tesla and SpaceX and clearly was wrong."

Hoffman then texted the Tesla Inc. TSLA CEO, saying that it was a big deal and that it could change the world.

“What do you think the plan is,” he asked Musk.

See Also: Elon Musk's Tesla And SpaceX Emails Can't Be Accessed Without His Consent, Judge Rules In Twitter-Deal Case

The Axios podcast also revealed that many others close to Musk refused to comment on the record as the deal is currently a subject of legal investigation. They, however, suggested that with, Twitter, even Musk could be biting more than he could chew.

Why It’s Important: A 5-day trial on the Musk-Twitter lawsuit will begin on Oct. 17. Musk has sent at least three termination letters to the Twitter board thus far, citing different bases.

While initially, it was the anomaly in the bot account count, the second letter cited some undisclosed bases, although disclosures made by Twitter whistleblower Peiter Zatko were speculated to be the reason.

The third letter said Twitter paid out a settlement to Zatko, breaching the terms of the takeover agreement.

Price Action: Twitter closed Friday’s session down 1.64% at $41.45, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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Posted In: M&ANewsSocial MediaGlobalTechMediaGeneralAxiosElon MuskLinkedInReid Hoffman
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