Will China gain leverage on Elon Musk-owned Twitter? Jeff Bezos answers

Jeff Bezos responded to Tesla and SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk’s $44 billion deal to acquire Twitter. The Amazon founder questioned the Chinese government’s leverage on the platform following Musk’s hostile takeover. 

The world’s second-richest man, before Musk overtook him, mused on some facts posted by New York Times reporter Mike Forsythe. Musk’s Tesla has a massive market in China and relies on the nation for electric vehicle manufacturing. 

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Forsythe also noted that since the Chinese ban on Twitter in 2009, Beijing has had very little leverage on the social media platform. Bezos pondered on what the change in ownership means, asking “Did the Chinese government just gain a bit of leverage over the town square?”

However, Bezos went on to answer his own question saying “The more likely outcome in this regard is complexity in China for Tesla, rather than censorship at Twitter.” 

The former Amazon CEO also tipped his hat to Musk, praising the entrepreneur for his ability to navigate such complexities. Musk, a proponent of free speech, has often had disagreements with China. His Tesla operation faced some protests there, while Beijing has often complained about Musk’s SpaceX satellites- especially when one was about to collide with a Chinese space station. 

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With Musk taking over and privatizing Twitter, he’ll have control of one of the most influential social media platforms on earth. The billionaire has already said he wants his worst critics to stay, but CEO Parag Agrawal when speaking to the Twitter staff, reportedly, noted that the direction of the company remains unsure after the takeover is complete. 

Musk’s initial plans to buy out the social media company were paused when Twitter took a “poison pill” but the tender offer extended forced them back to the negotiation table, ultimately agreeing to sell the company to the entrepreneur.