UPDATED 1:59 P.M.
(Reuters) -Elon Musk clinched a deal to buy Twitter Inc for $44 billion on Monday in a transaction that will shift control of the social media platform populated by millions of users and global leaders to the world’s richest person.
Discussions over the deal, which last week appeared uncertain, accelerated over the weekend after Musk wooed Twitter shareholders with financing details of his offer.
Under pressure, Twitter started negotiating with Musk to buy the company at the proposed $54.20 per share price.
The deal ends Twitter’s run as a public company since its 2013 initial public offering.
“Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,” Musk said in a statement.
Twitter’s shares were up about 6% following the news.
(Reporting by Nivedita Balu Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
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ORIGINAL STORY
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Twitter Inc is nearing a deal to sell itself to Elon Musk for $54.20 per share in cash, the price that he originally offered to the social media company and called his ‘best and final’, people familiar with the matter said.
Twitter may announce the $43 billion deal later on Monday once its board has met to recommend the transaction to Twitter shareholders, the sources said. It is always possible that the deal collapses at the last minute, the sources added.
Twitter has not been able to secure so far a ‘go-shop’ provision under its agreement with Musk that would allow it to solicit other bids from potential acquirers once the deal is signed, the sources said. Still, Twitter would be allowed to accept an offer from another party by paying Musk a break-up fee, the sources added.
Twitter and Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
(Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis in New York)
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