One of the potential buyers for Manchester United could be Elon Musk, one of the wealthiest people in the world. The CEO of Twitter, Tesla and SpaceX may be interested in competing against suitors from Saudi Arabia and Jim Ratcliffe to purchase a controlling stake in Manchester United, according to a report in the British press.
The Daily Mail reports that Musk and his team are monitoring the sale of Manchester United. There have only been a couple official inquiries into the purchase. Notably, one of those came from INEOS founder and CEO Jim Ratcliffe.
Manchester United has been under potential sale for some time. In late November during the World Cup, news emerged that Manchester United is officially seeking a sale. That could be just a minority stake or a full takeover of the club. If it is the latter, any sale of Manchester United would likely set a record. The club’s current valuation is nearly $5 billion. Chelsea sold to American Todd Boehly in 2022 for over $5 billion.
Few can manage that price tag, but Elon Musk is certainly one who can. The polarizing figure’s net worth is second to only Bernard Arnault at $146 billion. Of course, he does not have that money sitting in the bank account. But, with help from other investors, much like Boehly did at Chelsea, he can make up the amount.
Elon Musk targeting Manchester United
In the past, Musk made a joke that he was buying Manchester United. While the billionaire later explained that it was, in fact, a joke, United fans began wishful thinking.
Musk did add that if he were to every buy a club, it would be Manchester United. That was the club he supported in his youth, according to an ensuing tweet.
The Daily Mail proposed that Musk could link up with investors in Saudi Arabia. The Tesla CEO would still be a major investor, but he would be the face of the takeover with the Saudis.
Musk center of controversy
Elon Musk is not shy from controversy, and often welcomes it. He is either well-loved or much-maligned by millions on social media. His 128.3 million followers on Twitter is second to only Barack Obama.
Buying Manchester United, especially if with the Saudi Arabians, would bring Musk even more into the spotlight.
PHOTO: IMAGO / Belga
