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No freedom of expression:
Musk repeatedly accused the short message service
Photo:
Patrick Fallon / REUTERS
Tesla boss
Elon Musk
(50)
has secured $46.5 billion to acquire Twitter.
He is now considering an offer to buy shares in the short message service, according to a mandatory announcement to the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday.
Musk himself wants to contribute $33.5 billion, including $21 billion in equity and $12.5 billion in loans.
Banks, including Morgan Stanley, have pledged another $13 billion.
Musk announced last week that he would buy the short message service for $41.4 billion and then take it private.
This should enable the service to realize its potential as a "platform for free speech around the world".
Twitter then launched a so-called "poison pill" to fight back.
Musk, the richest man in the world at $265 billion according to Forbes, is already the second largest shareholder on Twitter and has attracted interest from financial investors after his move.
In the past, Musk has always been at odds with the US company and accused him of undermining freedom of expression.
Musk himself is an avid Twitter user with more than 81 million followers.
sio/Reuters