Elon Musk likes money and madness. He also likes Manchester United – and is one of the few who could afford to buy them.
Sources say the tech billionaire is keeping a close eye on the situation and wondering if there’s an opportunity at Old Trafford not to be missed.
With the Friday bid deadline fast approaching – is the man whom Forbes ranks as the second richest in the world on the verge of a move for the football club they’ve crowned the greatest?
While employees of the supremo of Twitter, Tesla and SpaceX will not comment on a possible interest, sources close to the deal are aware of his attention.
Dozens are understood to have expressed interest and signed non-disclosure agreements allowing them access to the “data room”.
Elon Musk, pictured second from left alongside media mogul Rupert Murdoch at last night’s Super Bowl game, is said to be interested in buying Man United for £4.5billion
Sources close to the deal are aware of Musk’s attention as Friday’s deadline nears
Among them are a number of parties from Saudi Arabia, independent of those who own Newcastle United. Should they decide to make an offer, they may need a dynamic figurehead to face them.
Few would carry the weight of Musk – who was already sending his own platform to collapse when he tweeted that he was buying United before later saying it was a joke.
At last count, his fortune was estimated at £157 billion. His pockets are deep enough and he certainly has the punch. United has 34.9 million followers on Twitter. Musk has 128.9 million
We’ve kind of been here before. In August, as United fans planned a protest against the Glazer family ahead of a home game with Liverpool and a slow start to Erik ten Hag’s reign, Musk wrote: “Also I’m buying Manchester United, welcome”.
Manchester United owners the Glazers (pictured) are ready to sell the club
The Glazers are looking for around £6bn and some put the club at around £4.5bn
Sources say the tech billionaire is closely monitoring the situation
For some United fans it was music to their ears. And while he went on to explain that he was joking, that reaction will not have gone unnoticed.
Musk later added, “Although if it was any team, it would be Man U. They were my favorite team as a kid.” It’s easy to believe.
Musk was born in South Africa and stayed there until he was 18. He will have seen United’s global reach first hand.
As the owner of Twitter, he will also have seen that few companies generate the clicks, hysteria and interest that comes from Old Trafford. In this respect they are like no other.
He will also be aware of the power United hold in Manchester and far beyond.
In fact, it can be difficult to resist a new venture — and the possibility of eventually making even more money. The six months that followed his gag were not kind.
The Twitter, Tesla and SpaceX supremo has a net worth estimated at £157 billion
Last month, Musk broke the world record for the biggest loss of personal wealth in history, according to Guinness World Records, with a drop of approximately £150billion since November.
This was largely attributed to the poor performance of Tesla stock. Regardless, with the Glazers looking for around £6bn and some valuing the club at around £4.5bn, the price would be United – and an additional £2bn to refurbish or build a new Old Trafford in Range.
Paired with Saudi investors, it becomes even more attainable. It’s a mesmerizing prospect. There are few for whom the prospect is a reality.
Anything over £3.76bn – the price paid for the NFL’s Denver Broncos last year – would make United the world’s most expensive sports team. Exceeding such a figure for a full sale is inevitable.
The richest man in the world tweeted what appeared to be a tongue-in-cheek comment on Tuesday
In August, Musk joked that he was buying United, but the reaction didn’t go unnoticed
Anything over £3.76bn would make United the most expensive sports team in the world
Sportsmail revealed last week that a group of Qataris will make their own bid. According to sources, they are “working around the clock” and are “confident” that their package will be the strongest.
When it comes to the opposition, four more contenders are expected. One of them is Britain’s richest man, Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
The United backer and Ineos boss has already announced his intentions and lined up banks to back his bid.
Ratcliffe’s fortune was listed at £21bn in 2018 and his interests continue to thrive. Further interest comes from the USA and Asia.
Britain’s richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe is one of the bidders willing to compete with bids for United
Should Musk decide to get involved, it would change the game. It would also be worth seeing, given his short time on Twitter.
Musk, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and other tech billionaires are the subjects of a slew of new novels, with writers intrigued by their rise to the top of the planet’s rich lists.
However, his next story might be the most intriguing yet.