Why Elon Musk would be ready to buy an opposition media

Elon Musk the tycoon who runs X, Tesla and SpaceX, has hinted that he wants to add a new company to his list: MSNBC .

This weekend, the billionaire shared several messages on social networks in which he discussed the acquisition of the American news channel, known for being an opponent of former President Donald Trump.

Musk’s idea came from an interaction with Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s son, who tagged him in a post falsely indicating that MSNBC was for sale. “Hey @elonmusk I have the funniest idea ever!” indicates the message. Then the tycoon replied ironically: “How much does it cost?”

“The most amusing outcome, especially if it is ironic, is the most likely.” he wrote a few minutes later on his X profile.

Trump Jr. was not the only one to encourage Musk about a possible purchase of this media. “I 100 percent want this to happen,” said former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz. While podcaster Joe Rogan wrote: “If you buy MSNBC, I would like Rachael Maddow’s work. “I would wear the same clothes and the same glasses, and I would tell the same lies.”

Posts from Musk, the world’s richest man and Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Government Effectiveness, come just days after the Comcast conglomerate announced in a press release which would give birth to some of its most famous media outlets, MSNBC, CNBC and E! in order to create a new company separate from the NBC network.

The company, which is currently called SpinCo will have the same ownership structure as Comcast and will have its own management team led by current NBCUniversal Chairman Mark Lazarus, who will serve as CEO.

The telecommunications giant has argued that it is not interested in putting these individual assets up for sale. However, the fact that he has decided to part ways with some of his media outlets has fueled rumors about what might happen to them in the future.

According to cnn following the creation of SpinCo and its separation from Comcast’s revenue stream, its cable channels – including MSNBC – could have less financial protection amid a television industry that has become increasingly volatile over time.

Added to this are the tensions that MSNBC will face when Trump assumes the US presidency. . The channel has been under the eye of the hurricane since the 78-year-old businessman celebrated his electoral victory at the beginning of November, which resulted in an audience drop of almost 40%, according to figures from Nielsen Media Research.

At the moment, it’s not entirely clear whether Musk is serious about acquiring MSNBC and some might interpret it as just a joke.

However, this is not the first time the tycoon has expressed interest in purchasing a company for his personal interests.

Since he took over

The Tesla owner is also known to be critical of traditional media, going so far as to call it a “sewer of lies” or “propaganda.”

His statements on MSNBC also come in a critical moment for X. Since the presidential elections in the USA, Thousands of platform users complained about the content displayed by the algorithm and chose to flock to Bluesky the social network founded by Twitter creator Jack Dorsey.

According to The Wall Street Journal If Musk were serious about the decision to buy the channel, it wouldn’t be an easy thing to do. This is given that Comcast is not currently looking to sell the individual assets.

“They never intended to sell things in pieces” Joseph Bonner, technology, media and telecommunications analyst at Argus Research, told the aforementioned media outlets.

Another point to consider is that it’s likely the price wouldn’t be similar to what Twitter was when Musk bought it. The new cable company’s annual revenue is $7 billion and its assets are shrinking in a market where streaming plays a larger role.

Some sources consulted by CNN also assured that Musk would not be the only contender for the acquisition of MSNBC. Other billionaires have reportedly contacted the media to discuss a possible sale.