close_game
close_game

What Amazon's Jeff Bezos said on Elon Musk, Twitter sale and the Chinese govt

Apr 26, 2022 02:58 PM IST

Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter has been backed, cautiously, by founder Jack Dorsey, who tweeted "… Elon is the singular solution I trust. I trust his mission to extend the light of consciousness."

Elon Musk's $44 billion buyout of Twitter is the talk of the town with opinions divided on whether the purchase is good news for one of the world's most (if not the most) influential social media platforms. At the centre of vigorous debates over free speech and the spread of disinformation, Twitter - a megaphone also credited with much good, including helping on-ground relief efforts during times of crisis - is grappling with tough questions on content moderation in India and other countries. However, Musk - a self-proclaimed 'free-speech absolutist' - has said he wants to reform what he sees as an over-zealous stance in such matters by a platform that banned former US president Donald Trump.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk are rivals in the private space launch business.(Bloomberg)
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk are rivals in the private space launch business.(Bloomberg)

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos chipped in Tuesday morning, flagging a post by a New York Times reporter who pointed to connections between Tesla and the Chinese government, and asking, 'Did the Chinese government just gain a bit of leverage over the town square?'

The tweet was in response to NYT reporter Mike Forsythe's message:

"Apropos of something:

-Tesla's second-biggest market in 2021 was China (after the US)

-Chinese battery makers are major suppliers for Tesla's EVs.

-After 2009, when China banned Twitter, the government there had almost no leverage over the platform -That may have just changed."

Bezos re-tweeted and wrote: "Interesting question. Did the Chinese government just gain a bit of leverage over the town square?"

READ: On Jeff Bezos' 'Did the Chinese just…' post on Twitter, a response…

The 'town square' reference was to Musk's first tweet after the Twitter purchase was confirmed; he wrote, "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…"

Bezos went on to offer some answers for the question he raised.

"My own answer to this question is probably not. The more likely outcome in this regard is complexity in China for Tesla, rather than censorship at Twitter. But we'll see. Musk is extremely good at navigating this kind of complexity."

READ: On Musk's takeover, Twitter CEO tells employees future ‘in the dark’

The latest chapter in Twitter's history has been backed by founder Jack Dorsey, who tweeted "… Elon is the singular solution I trust. I trust his mission to extend the light of consciousness."

READ: Dorsey backs Twitter takeover amid concerns: 'Elon's goal right one'

The support, however, was tempered with a tweet on Twitter being 'the closest thing we have to a global consciousness'.

"The idea and service is all that matters to me, and I will do whatever it takes to protect both," Dorsey, who stepped down as CEO last year, wrote.

Musk's move for Twitter made global headlines, with much of the speculation now on how he might finance part of the $44 billion offer on the table - $21 billion equity has been personally guaranteed by the firm's (almost) new boss.

rec-icon Recommended Topics
Read breaking news, latest updates from US, UK, Pakistan and other countries across the world on topics related to politics,crime, and national affairs along with Delhi Election 2025.
See More
Read breaking news, latest updates from US, UK, Pakistan and other countries across the world on topics related to politics,crime, and national affairs along with Delhi Election 2025.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, February 06, 2025
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On