The world’s richest man certainly loves attention, and he knows how to easily get it. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors with an estimated net worth of $272 billion, joked on Twitter last night that he was going to buy Manchester United. When asked by a Tesla Owners in Silicon Valley account if he was actually serious, he responded in the negative.
He then went on to say that he’s not actually buying any sports franchises, but if he were to acquire a sports franchise, it would be United, which was his favorite team while he was growing up in South Africa. Here is the whole exchange below, on the very platform that Musk backed out of buying.
Also, I’m buying Manchester United ur welcome
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 17, 2022
Early Wednesday, Musk sent a tweet about his political affiliations and then added in a second tweet: “Also, I’m buying Manchester United ur welcome.”
United’s American owners, the Glazer family, have been strongly criticised by the club’s fans for the team’s underachievement in recent years.
No, this is a long-running joke on Twitter. I’m not buying any sports teams.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 17, 2022
Asked by a follower whether he was serious, Musk later tweeted: “No, this is a long-running joke on Twitter. I’m not buying any sports teams.”
Although, if it were any team, it would be Man U. They were my fav team as a kid.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 17, 2022
The “joke” sent shares of MANU up as much as 17% in after hours trading, and they remained up 7% when the NYSE opened this morning. Supporter sentiment against United’s current ownership, the Glazer family, may be at an all-time high, and thus, the calls for regime change have never been higher. As you might expect, a lot of United supporters didn’t care for the Elon Musk “joke.”
Especially amid reports that there are potential buyers out there circling the club, looking for a chance to maybe step in and take over.
They weren’t the only group that was not amused by this prank. The SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) is reportedly looking into potential market manipulation of the MANU stock price here, but we’re not holding our breath waiting for Musk to get sanctioned. He is, after all, an ultra-wealthy and extremely famous white male. Plus, he wasn’t sanctioned for anything involved DOGE in May of 2021.
Elon Musk also currently faces a major legal battle in the United States, after backing out of his deal to buy Twitter itself for $44 billion.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.