After Saudi Prince Rejects Offer to Buy Twitter, Elon Musk Responds ‘Interesting’ and Asks Two Questions

After Elon Musk proposed a $41 billion all-cash offer to buy Twitter, shareholder Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud tweeted that he will vote to reject the bid for the company.

The prince tweeted today, “I don’t believe that the proposed offer by @elonmusk ($54.20) comes close to the intrinsic value of @Twitter given its growth prospects.”

“Being one of the largest & long-term shareholders of Twitter, @Kingdom_KHC & I reject this offer,” he added.

Musk then responded to him with what appeared to be a shot at Saudi Arabia’s free speech and human rights record. 

“Interesting. Just two questions, if I may. How much of Twitter does the Kingdom own, directly & indirectly? What are the Kingdom’s views on journalistic freedom of speech?” Musk wondered.

As the New York Post noted, Saudi Arabia frequently surveils and arrests journalists, according to Reporters Without Borders, which ranks the country as one of the worst in the world for press freedom.

According to U.S. intelligence, the brutal murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was personally approved by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, they added.

Interesting. Just two questions, if I may.

How much of Twitter does the Kingdom own, directly & indirectly?

What are the Kingdom’s views on journalistic freedom of speech?

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 14, 2022

One verified Twitter user responded to Musk by sharing a New York Times article and said, “Hey Elon, don’t forget about this doozy.”

The 2019 article reported that former Twitter employees were charged with spying for Saudi Arabia.

Musk responded with a pondering face emoji.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 14, 2022

It is unclear with the prince will have the power alone to reject the purchase, but it is likely that his opinion will be taken into serious consideration.