Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Nils Pratley

Tesla shareholders are forgotten constituent in Elon Musk’s Twitter deal

Elon Musk gestures
Elon Musk’s private obsession (Twitter) sits uncomfortably with a $1tn public company that has duties to shareholders (Tesla) Photograph: Britta Pedersen/AFP/Getty

Elon Musk’s public description of how he plans to run the Twitter show could currently be transcribed in fewer than 280 characters, so it’s not surprising that everybody, from EU commissioners down, is fretting about what happens when a maverick billionaire gets the controls of a divisive social media site.

The overlooked constituency in the excitement, however, is the shareholders in Tesla, Musk’s electric car company that has a better chance of making a positive contribution to civilisation. Its stock slumped 10% in early trading on Tuesday as the market digested the meaning of the boss’s latest adventure.

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.