Elon Musk’s Twitter Deal Suspicious?
President Joe Biden was asked at a news conference on Wednesday, November 9th, if he thought Twitter’s new boss Elon Musk, and his relationships with other countries are a security threat to the United States’ national security.
The reporter asked: “Do you think Elon Musk is a threat to U.S. national security, and should the U.S., with the tools you have, investigate his joint acquisition of Twitter with foreign governments, which include the Saudis?”
Biden responded, “I think that Elon Musk’s cooperation and/or technical relationships with other countries is worthy of being looked at. Whether he is doing anything inappropriate, I’m not suggesting that. I’m suggesting they’re worth being looked at.”
Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, among the wealthiest Middle Eastern investors, and his investment firm have emerged as the second-largest investor in Twitter after Musk’s takeover of the social media platform.
Here’s Why the Biden Administration Is Concerned
“Given the Saudi regime’s history of jailing critics, planting a spy at Twitter, and brutally murdering a Washington Post journalist, the Saudi regime must be blocked from accessing Twitter account information, direct messages and other data that could be used to identify political opponents or to suppress criticism of the royal family,” Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon said.
In his $44 billion deal to acquire Twitter, he invested billions of his personal wealth. But he also asked some major existing shareholders to roll their stakes into his holding company. Among the shareholders is Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who now is the second largest Twitter shareholder. The kingdom of Qatar, also was part of the deal to acquire the social media network.
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who is also the chairman of a Foreign Relations subcommittee, has asked the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to review the financing behind the Twitter deal.
In recent weeks, quite a few big-name brand companies removed their ads from the social media platform after Musk completed the billion-dollar purchase. Most recently, Oreo pulled ads temporarily. Others who pulled ads are automakers, General Mills, and United Airlines, among others.
Billionaire Elon Musk
Musk is the world’s richest man, and CEO of electric carmaker Tesla, which counts China as a key market and production base. Tesla operates at a factory in Shanghai which accounts for about half of Tesla’s global deliveries last year.
Elon is also CEO of rocket and satellite internet company SpaceX, among others.
The billionaire previously suggested that tensions between China and Taiwan could be resolved by handing over some control of Taiwan to Beijing. Musk also said China has sought assurances that he would not offer SpaceX’s Starlink internet service there.
He also proposed Ukraine permanently cede Crimea to Russia, while saying SpaceX could not indefinitely fund Starlink services in Ukraine.
You can listen to the interview by Robin Wheeler for more information on the future of Twitter:
What is really weird, is that Biden was speaking clearly. It is almost like it was a different Biden than the one we see mumbling and stumbling and sniffing little girls.
Your comment has nothing to do with the subject and is useless! Stop being mean!
OK Tom, since I cannot think of anything good to say about the people destroying my country, and yours too by the way, I will leave it to you.
Rick, I am an Independent/Unaffiliated voter who dislikes both parties and wishes both parties to be held fully accountable by We The People. While I agree with the sentiments behind your comment, I do enjoy relevant comments that build the dialogue and create understanding. I do believe that many of the Biden policies seem to be having a detrimental effect on the population in a number of ways, and this dismays me. Trump all but destroyed NATO, Biden sewed it back together again in part due to the War in Ukraine. Trump damaged many foreign relations, while Biden has done some good triage work to sew them back together again – but it will take a long time for us to regain their full trust. Biden, while I agree with the criticism he takes on his possible back door relations with China, fact is politics in general is a back door smoke filled room business – and if the two crooks/families (yes Xi is a crook and so to I believe Biden is – both are like Mafia families) can get along and agree on elements of world peace like not even contemplating a WW3, limiting involvement with other countries, fairer trade, then I will suffer the crooks/families. I hope you understand that my comment was not criticizing you as a person, it was criticizing the value of the comment to the discussion et al. Peace!
What should be fully investigated is Biden’s connections to China. That has far more security implications than the Saudi’s.
As an Independent/Unaffiliated voter, I agree with your comment and would add that Musk’s company should also be investigated to ensure that it has not violated any US laws on foreign investment and foreign influence of our political system. If the Saudis want to use it to track and capture their dissidents, that is their issue, not ours. IF the Saudis use it to influence our political system, that is our issue and should be stopped before it gets started. An investigation that is limited to potential violations of law and potential impacts to our political system is appropriate. An investigation of Biden-China ties, Mark Kelly-China ties, and Hunter-China ties is just as appropriate but should be limited to tax law violations, selling influence violations, tech and info transfer violations, foreign investment violations, political influence violations, etc. And I am talking about real, documented violations, not “potential”.
Perhaps there should be some smoke before you launch an investigation.
I would ask investigate the investigators for Matt Gaetz; dragged though the mud for over two years. I don’t like Matt, think he is scum, but if we take two years on a child sex abuse case and come up with zip, that’s just wrong. If it’s because the witnesses suck, well, that should take less than two years to dispatch.
But in terms of musk and twitter; wait a few months, this may go away as Twitter implodes with a softer crash than Enron. There are no physical assets, no human assets, no ip, no advertising revenue stream, shrinking subscription revenue stream, and he’s shedding shareholders by taking it private. It’s just an easily reproducible website. There is no giant cost to enter or leave this market. Musk bought air and then he sucked that dry too.
WELL SAID! My thoughts exactly! “But in terms of musk and twitter; wait a few months, this may go away as Twitter implodes with a softer crash than Enron. There are no physical assets, no human assets, no ip, no advertising revenue stream, shrinking subscription revenue stream, and he’s shedding shareholders by taking it private. It’s just an easily reproducible website. There is no giant cost to enter or leave this market. Musk bought air and then he sucked that dry too.”
I agree totally with you Frank. I have seen better looking scum along the banks of my local catfish pond. Yes I think some 420 friendly discussions that lead to the truth about Gaetz and the investigators would be wonderful. When can we meet? And can you stop by Colorado on your way and pick up my friend Mary Jane?
You do know that Frank Stetson is an anonymous poster. As such, he has a hard time meeting in the real world. We know Gaetz did it, just have no quality witnesses to prove it. Investigators should be investigated as you how this leaked yet no substance after over two years. That’s a terrible way to treat any citizen, even this one.
Would love to return to CO though. Good times, big cowboy bars, smaller factories in lieu of bigger labs. Had one of my first corporate meetings there. Freaking circular staircase, nothing but wood, my only though — too much profit margin! This will be fun! Loved the component insertion machines though, like gatling guns for chips. Used to take my teams to the slopes (in summer) beryond Berthoud Pass for “planning sessions.” Have yet to do downtown Denver though.
STRANGE THAT BIDEN DOES NOT CONSIDER HI CRACK-HEAD SON IS NOT ANATION SECURITY
It’s your house, you can do what you want.
Where’s Ben? I think Joe should be investigated for banning Ben.
I agree with you to a certain degree Frank. It may be his house so within his house, fine, let him do what he wants but even within a house one must follow the laws of the land. As far as outside the house, if a house or property influences and diminishes the rights of another house by air pollution, chemical runoff, noise pollution, then this is where government must step in and ensure the safety and rights of all residents. The same applies to Twitter and Must. As far as investigating Joe, such an investigation should be limited to violations of constitutional law and PBP rules such as limiting or denying free speech, speech suppression, misinformation transfer, etc. However, I do not know the rules of PBP so your Musk/Twitter analysis of “It’s your house, you can do what you want.” may very well apply and thwart your advocacy. This may expose hypocracy and flip flopping within the application of “It’s your house, you can do what you want. ” Proceed with caution!
errrr house of representatives The rabid right can now launch any house investigation they want. they should just do it.