Tesla CEO Elon Musk needs to find a new joke to tweet out to his millions of followers. Like, seriously, joking that he’s buying things isn’t funny anymore. Even if he were serious, we all know the world’s richest man can change his mind in the blink of an eye. Just look at Twitter, which according to Musk is 💩.
Tech’s most eccentric billionaire randomly tweeted on Tuesday, unprompted, that he was buying the English soccer team, which would cost him $US4.6 ($6) billion, according to Forbes. As with anything Musk says, the tweet quickly gained steam among Manchester United’s fans, some of whom expressed hope and excitement that the Tesla CEO could help get the team out of its rough patch.
“Also, I’m buying Manchester United ur welcome,” Musk tweeted.
Also, I’m buying Manchester United ur welcome
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 17, 2022
Ryan Babel, a former winger for Liverpool, joked — we think — that he needed to buy Manchester United stock in light of Musk’s announcements.
“Now i need to buy Man United stock got dammit lol,” Babel said.
Now i need to buy Man United stock got dammit lol
— Ryan Babel (@Ryanbabel) August 17, 2022
Meanwhile, Al Foran, a self-described “massive” Manchester United Fan and host of the soccer news podcast The Goalmouth, implored Musk to save the team.
“Please Save Manchester United, @elonmusk,” Foran tweeted.
Please Save Manchester United, @elonmusk
— Al Foran (@ImpressionistAL) August 17, 2022
The Premier League team is currently in last place this season, and fans are planning a protest against its owners, the American Glazer family, next week.
Alas, to no one’s surprise, Musk wasn’t serious. He shot down rumours roughly four hours after his original tweet.
“No, this is a long-running joke on Twitter. I’m not buying any sports teams,” Musk tweeted, adding shortly after: “Although, if it were any team, it would be Man U. They were my fav team as a kid.”
No, this is a long-running joke on Twitter. I’m not buying any sports teams.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 17, 2022
For its part, Manchester United told CNN Business that it does not comment on rumours and speculation.
In case anyone was left wondering, the billionaire also clarified that he was “not buying Coca-Cola to put the cocaine back in, despite the extreme popularity of such a move.”