Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Zenger
Zenger
Technology
Bibhu Pattnaik

Harvard Expert Says Twitter Deal Could Be Bad For Elon Musk: Here’s Why

Tweets by Elon Musk are shown on a computer April 25, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. It was announced today that Twitter has accepted a $44 billion bid from Musk to acquire the company. SCOTT OLSON VIA GETTY IMAGES

Elon Musk is under investigation by federal authorities over his conduct during his $44 billion takeover deal for Twitter. 

Last week Twitter said in a court filing that Musk’s attorneys claimed “investigative privilege” while refusing to hand over material sought by the social media company. 

Twitter sued Musk in July after he walked out of a deal to take the company private at $54.20 per share.

In this photo illustration, Elon Musk’s twitter profile is displayed on a mobile phone and the image of him is seen on a computer screen on October 06, 2022. Harvard University expert Bill Geoge claims the Twitter buyout deal by Musk a bad move.  MUHAMMED SELIM KORKUTATA VIA GETTY IMAGES

Is the Twitter deal going to be good or bad for Musk? Harvard University expert Bill George shared his views: “This Twitter deal would be bad for Musk and the general public if he succeeds in buying it.” 

It could damage Musk’s other companies, divert him from his research and development efforts, and negatively impact the country’s public discourse. 

“Twitter is a distraction that could keep Musk from what’s important, and it could do society more harm than good,” said George. 

In George’s latest book, “True North: Leading Authentically in Today’s Workplace, Emerging Leader Edition,” he said bosses who lose sight of their beliefs and values are often on track to fail in some way and Musk is at risk of falling into that category.

George said Musk’s diversion from his core strength, which lies in “being the greatest inventor of our era,” would take a toll on his firms such as Tesla and SpaceX. 

“It’s a sign he needs to focus more on Tesla. Its market cap is dependent on the company’s rapid growth and his ability to invent,” George added.

Tesla shares dropped to $223.99 on Friday, marking its worst week since March 2020. Similarly, its market cap is $674.11 billion as of Wednesday, down from $1.14 trillion at the beginning of April.

George noted Musk’s inventions “genuinely help society and the world at large,” and Twitter could get in the way of that. Musk’s reported vision for Twitter as a free-speech platform could also harm the public.”

In this photo illustration a man looks at Elon Musk’s Twitter account that is displayed on a smartphone screen on May 08, 2021 in Bristol, England. Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has said his multi-billion dollar deal to buy Twitter may not now happen due to a disagreement over the number of fake accounts on the social media platform. MATT ARDY VIA GETTY IMAGES

He said that permitting free speech on Twitter without any “reasonable restraint” is a mistake, and disparaging rhetoric could harm the users the platform currently aims to protect.  

In a recent news poll on Twitter, when respondents were asked, “Is Elon Musk a winner or loser in the Twitter deal,” over 41% of respondents voted Musk would turn out to be a loser. In comparison, 37% believed the world’s richest person would emerge as a winner from the deal. More than 21% of respondents were indifferent to the affair. 

The results point to the continued skepticism of the deal.
 

Produced in association with Benzinga.

Edited by Saman Rizwan

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.