Elon Musk posts video of himself strolling into Twitter HQ
San Francisco, Oct 27: Elon Musk posted video Wednesday showing him strolling into Twitter headquarters ahead of a Friday deadline to close his 44 billion deal to buy the company.
Musk also changed his Twitter profile to refer to himself as "Chief Twit" and his location as Twitter headquarters, which is based in San Francisco. The video showed him carrying a sink through a lobby area.
"Entering Twitter HQ - let that sink in!" he tweeted.
A court has given Musk until Friday to close his April agreement to acquire the company after he earlier tried to back out of the deal.
Neither Musk nor Twitter has said if the deal is closed yet.
Despite Musk's splashy entry to headquarters, it wasn't clear yet whether his purchase of Twitter had been finalised.
Twitter confirmed that Musk's video tweet was real but wouldn't comment further.
Alex Spiro, Musk's lead lawyer, didn't immediately return a request for comment.
The Washington Post reported last week that Musk told prospective investors that he plans to cut three quarters of Twitter's 7,500 workers when he becomes owner of the company.
The newspaper cited documents and unnamed sources familiar with the deliberation.
One of Musk's biggest obstacles to closing the deal was keeping in place the financing pledged roughly six months ago.
A group of banks, including Morgan Stanley and Bank of America, signed on earlier this year to loan 12.5 billion of the money Musk needed to buy Twitter and take it private.
Solid contracts with Musk bound the banks to the financing, although changes in the economy and debt markets since April have likely made the terms less attractive.
Musk even said his investment group would be buying Twitter for more than it's worth.
Less clear is what's happening with the billions of dollars pledged to Musk by investors who would get ownership stakes in Twitter.
Musk's original slate of equity partners included an array of partners ranging from the billionaire's tech world friends with like-minded ideas about Twitter's future, such as Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, to funds controlled by Middle Eastern royalty.
The more equity investors kick in for the deal, the less Musk has to pay on his own.
Most of his wealth is tied up in shares of Tesla, the electric car company that he runs. Since April, he has sold more than 15 billion worth of Tesla stock, presumably to pay his share. More sales could be coming.
Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in! pic.twitter.com/D68z4K2wq7
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 26, 2022
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka leads in AI: Minister Priyank Kharge at Impact Summit
Bengaluru (PTI): Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday highlighted the state’s leadership in AI and deep technology while engaging with global industry leaders and startups at a four-day summit held in New Delhi, officials said.
During the event, Priyank witnessed the signing of a strategic MoU between H Company and St John’s Medical College & Research Institute, Bengaluru, to pilot advanced enterprise AI for hospital operations and workflow automation, strengthening responsible AI in healthcare, the minister’s office said in a statement here.
Speaking on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit, the minister said Karnataka is ahead of the curve in AI.
“We are already home to leading global AI players such as Harvey AI and Anthropic, and The Walt Disney Company is expanding its AI network in Bengaluru,” he added.
Noting Bengaluru’s position among the top global cities for AI talent, he added, “Under our DeepTech Decade, we are supporting startups with grants of up to Rs 1 crore. We are engaging with global leaders and innovators to ensure responsible AI use, build the right skill sets, create strong incubators, and establish Centres of Excellence that can foster startups and strengthen e-governance.”
The minister also attended a roundtable organised by the US-India Business Council (USIBC), where discussions focused on strengthening technology collaboration, investment partnerships, and innovation-led growth between Karnataka and global enterprises.
He met Timo Harakka, Member of Parliament of Finland, to explore possibilities for collaboration between Karnataka and Finland in AI and deep-tech sectors, including joint research, innovation partnerships, and startup exchanges.
The Karnataka IT Minister also visited the Indian Army showcase at the summit, which featured advanced AI-driven defence and strategic technology applications, highlighting the role of AI in national security and modernisation efforts.
He toured the Karnataka Pavilion and the ArtPark Pavilion, interacting with founders and teams from Karnataka’s innovation ecosystem and reviewing emerging AI and deep-tech solutions, the statement added.
