Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal rejected Elon Musk’s bid to acquire Twitter Inc. for $54.20 per share, saying the deal doesn’t “come close to the intrinsic value” of the popular social media platform.
The move prompted a rapid retort from Musk, who asked how many shares the investor held in Twitter, and what are the Kingdom’s view on freedom of speech for journalists.
A 2015 regulatory filing showed that Alwaleed, along with his Kingdom Holding Company, owned a 5.2% stake in the social media platform. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimates the position is now about 4.4% of Twitter.
Alwaleed is the richest individual in Saudia Arabia, with a $16.5 billion fortune, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index shows. Most of his wealth is derived from his 95% ownership of Kingdom Holding Company.
It’s been a tumultuous few years for the prince, who was detained at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh for nearly three months in late 2017 along with other Saudi princes in an anti-corruption sweep started by the de facto Saudi ruler and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, which was largely seen as a move to consolidate power.
Twitter’s shares fluctuated on Thursday as investors weighed news of the offer. The stock was down 2% to $44.93 at 2:59 p.m. in New York.
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