According to a 13G filing today, Tesla CEO Elon Musk now owns 9.2% of Twitter. Musk bought the stock on March 14th, the filing says. Musk, a longtime Twitter user, recently polled his 80 million followers on the platform’s free speech policies.
Musk had questioned Twitter’s approach to free speech in a poll on his Twitter account on March 25th. “Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy. Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?” the CEO asked, before adding that “the consequences of this poll will be important.”
“Given that Twitter serves as the de facto public town square, failing to adhere to free speech principles fundamentally undermines democracy,” Musk tweeted the next day, before publicly wondering whether a “new platform” is required.
Early this month, Musk said he was a “free speech absolutist” when Starlink was ordered by various nations to restrict Russian news outlets.
Musk’s use of Twitter has gotten him in trouble before. He famously tweeted in 2018 that he had acquired financing to take Tesla private at $420 per share. The SEC compelled Musk to have Tesla’s lawyers pre-approve any tweets on the company’s financial health, sales, delivery numbers, and more.
