Elon Musk Makes Cash Offer to Buy Twitter

Elon Musk, the world's richest person, has offered to buy Twitter in cash.

Musk offered to buy Twitter for $54.20 a share in cash, or about $43 billion, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Musk confirmed the move with a tweet, and wrote a letter to Twitter's chairman saying that Twitter "needs to be transformed as a private company" and has the "potential to be the platform for free speech around the globe." He added that his "offer is my best and final offer and if it is not accepted, I would need to reconsider my position as a shareholder."

Musk became Twitter's largest shareholder last week, and looked to be on track to join the company's board before rejecting the offer. Musk has been critical of Twitter's moves in recent years to censor content it deems to be false, misleading or hateful.

Musk's moves on Twitter have sparked a range of reactions and speculation about how his involvement could shape the platform's future and the state of free speech online. Coverage from left-rated outlets often framed Twitter's moves to restrict some content as being aimed at combatting misinformation and incitements of violence. Reports from right-rated sources typically painted those moves as leading to unjust censorship of conservative viewpoints; some also highlighted opposition to Musk from some Twitter employees.