I've been wondering whether he's planning to run for some office (in South Africa? US?). At least, that would make his burning through $44Bn, lying so much and voluntarily antagonizing/ostracizing "the Libs" somewhat logical.
edit: Alright, here is my latest idle theory: he wants (or wanted at some point) to become a news mogul and a US Republican kingmaker. And since Twitter is (for many people) the news:
1. buying Twitter;
2. achieving absolutist control over it;
3. getting rid of the Libs while appealing to Republican victimhood.
I don't think there's any 4D chess going on here with Twitter.
He signed the deal when the market was way up. He was probably riding high and overconfident on his wealth. The market corrected, his wealth dropped and he tried damn hard to get out of the deal. Turns out the deal was hard to get out of so he's trying to make the best of it.
I think he's earnestly trying to make Twitter successful and profitable. This is just his best effort.
I think he's hoping for a run in 2028. Possibly 2024, but that's a little close.
Buying Twitter would be a strategic campaign move.
Of course a lot of people now realise he's an asshole, and he's likely to lose a lot of money on the deal. So maybe that plan won't work out.
It's been a real case study in self-harm. Many who were neutral or positive before - because of Tesla, SpaceX, and some of his other projects - are now varying shades of hostile.
And he's unlikely to win over the fascist vote, because Flynn is going to have that locked up when he emerges from behind Trump's shadow.
> I think he's hoping for a run in 2028. Possibly 2024, but that's a little close.
One of the few requirements to become US president is that you must be a natural born citizen. So Musk is out, as he’s born in Pretoria, South Africa and neither of his parents were US citizens.
I doubt Musk would be interested in a mere government position where he has to act on the orders of a boss. Very few of those are open to elections in the first place, so he probably could have one if he just wants it. Apart from having a conflict of interest that would probably bar any reasonable president from offering one.
If he runs for office in the US, he may run for governor, but he can't run for president. On the other hand, there are many countries that have less stringent regulations, plus he may run in South Africa.
But that's a wild guess. I introduced this speculation in the thread but for all we know, he's just really bad at handling frustration and that's how it manifests.
Ted Cruz (Republican senator from Texas) comes up for re-election in 2024. Couple of remarks about Cancun every time the weather gets a bit chilly, update some of the fun memes from the 2016 presidential primary... and maybe Cruz himself is considering another go at the White House.
Or perhaps that was the situation at the beginning of this year, and one of Musk's motivations for moving to Texas, beyond his previously-stated ones.
He would never run for office in South Africa, where he has no remaining serious ties, no support base, and no popularity amongst the general population.
edit: Alright, here is my latest idle theory: he wants (or wanted at some point) to become a news mogul and a US Republican kingmaker. And since Twitter is (for many people) the news:
1. buying Twitter;
2. achieving absolutist control over it;
3. getting rid of the Libs while appealing to Republican victimhood.
...makes some kind of sense.