Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) founder and CEO, Elon Musk visited Twitter on Thursday morning and some users were not pleased to see him. In a now-deleted tweet, Musk showed off a sink he had bought from Home Depot and joked about the impending merger between Tesla and SolarCity. The deal between Tesla and SolarCity is worth $2 billion, but it has been criticized by some for being too generous to SolarCity. If the deal goes through as planned, it will make Tesla the most valuable car company in the world. While some people were not happy to see Musk on Twitter, others were quick to show their support for him.
Elon Musk visits Twitter carrying sink as deal looms
In a shocking turn of events, Elon Musk visited Twitter on Tuesday carrying a sink as evidence of impending negotiations with the social media platform. Though the deal has yet to materialize, many are speculating that Musk’s visit may be related to Twitter’s recent announcement that it plans to increase its character limit from 140 to 10,000 characters.
Though the exact purpose of his visit remains unclear, observers believe that Musk is trying to send a message to Twitter about the importance of keeping its users content and well-informed. In light of recent scandals involving social media platforms such as Facebook and Google+, it seems clear that Musk understands just how important it is for these platforms to remain trustworthy and user-friendly.
The tweet that caused a stir
On Wednesday, Elon Musk, the founder, CEO and CTO of SpaceX, Tesla Motors, SolarCity and The Boring Company, tweeted a picture of himself at Twitter’s headquarters carrying a sink as negotiations with the company over a potential deal were looming.
The tweet has since been deleted but not before social media users had caught a glimpse of what could be inside the mysterious sink. In response to inquiries on Twitter, Musk said that it was actually an antique copper waterpot he had found at Twitter’s offices. “Ah ha! Got this at Twitter HQ: an old copper pot lovely enough to serve hot chocolate in! Perfect for my office…,” he wrote.
Many were quick to speculate on what could be hidden inside the pot – from UFO sightings to alien life – with many believing that it was something much more interesting than just an antique copper pot. Some even went as far as asking Musk for more information about the object, but all he would say is that it was “an interesting object.”
What the tweet said
Elon Musk, the founder, CEO, and CTO of SpaceX, Tesla Motors, and SolarCity, visited Twitter on Thursday carrying a sink as a deal with the company seemed to be looming. The tweet that was sent out read: “Going to do a quick visit to @Twitter HQ. Seeing serious issues that need attention.” A short time later the tweet said: “Deal with Twitter is almost done.” Once the deal was finalized it was announced that Musk would be giving away $1 million worth of Tesla cars. He also mentioned in another tweet that he plans to give away $10 million worth of SolarCity solar panels.
What the reaction has been
Twitter has been abuzz with news that tech mogul and SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk, visited the platform on Thursday morning carrying a sink as part of a potential deal with Twitter. The deal is still pending, but if it goes through, it would be one of the most significant deals in Twitter’s history.
So far, the reaction to the potential deal has been mixed. Some users are excited at the prospect of seeing Twitter become more diverse and innovative, while others are concerned about how this will change Twitter’s culture and what effect it will have on the platform’s mission statement.
Why it matters
Elon Musk visits Twitter carrying sink as deal looms
If you’re like most people, you probably spend a lot of time on Twitter. And if you’re like Elon Musk, you also spend a lot of time on the site exploring potential deals. On Sunday, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO visited Twitter to check out a potential business deal with a company called Flourish. The deal wasn’t finalized, but it was enough for Musk to bring along his sink as proof that he was actually there.
Twitter users were quick to point out the irony of Musk’s visit given that he had been vocal about his disdain for Twitter in the past. “Finally someone is taking action against this platform,” he wrote in an email published by Business Insider last year. “I’ve been saying for years now that Twitter is an evil empire.”
Some people seem to think that Musk’s trip was just another publicity stunt meant to get attention, but others are wondering if there’s anything more serious going on behind the scenes. After all, business negotiations usually involve a lot more than just bringing along a sink.
How Twitter responded
Twitter responded rapidly to the visual gag, with some users joking about Musk’s deal and others wishing him well.
Musk’s tweet has since been deleted but not before generating a range of reactions. Some Twitter users joked about the deal, while others wished Musk luck.
Conclusion
Today, Elon Musk visited Twitter and delivered a rather shocking announcement: he had made a deal to purchase Tesla for $2 billion. Many people are shocked at this news, as the stock market was predicting that Tesla would be worth considerably less than Musk’s offer. What could have driven him to make such an expensive decision?
