Elon Musk ignited the web on the evening of August 16 by announcing on Twitter that he wanted to buy the English football club Manchester United. While this statement immediately went viral on the Internet, the billionaire explained a day later that it was all “just a joke”.
It will have been enough of a few words, released with lightness on Twitter Tuesday, August 16 by Elon Musk, so that the Internet ignites. “Also, I’m buying Manchester United ur welcome” wrote the American billionaire.
Also, I’m buying Manchester United ur welcome
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 17, 2022
Its publication very quickly became viral, counting more than one hundreds of thousands of retweets and about 500,000 likes on the social network. But Musk very quickly dashed the mad hope that he had raised among some Mancunian supporters, while their team is going through a catastrophic start to the season.
To an Internet user who asked him on Wednesday August 17 if he was serious, the extremely wealthy South African entrepreneur, accustomed to unpredictable and provocative statements on Twitter replied: “No, it’s a joke (…). I have no plans to buy any sports club”.
No, this is a long-running joke on Twitter. I’m not buying any sports teams.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 17, 2022
Interviewed by AFP, nor You’re here (Musk’s company), nor the management of the English club, controlled by the family Glazerhad not yet responded immediately to this first tweet.
Man U, a club in bad shape at the sporting level
“ManU”, listed in Sotck exchange at New York ten years, has a market capitalization of $2.08 billion and would be valued at $4.8 billion according to the magazine Forbes. The club would also have generated $128 million in operating revenue for the year 2020-2021.
From a sporting point of view, Manchester United is one of the most famous clubs in the world but it is currently going through a severe crisis of results, and is suffering the wrath of its many fans on social networks. Saturday August 13, the Red Devils were humiliated Brentford (4-0), and appear in a sad last place in the England Championship after two defeats in two matches.