Controversial billionaire Elon Musk responded Speculation that MSNBC could possibly be put up on the marketand asked Friday how much the cable news network would pay him back.
Media conglomerate Comcast announced Wednesday that it plans to spin off a few of its NBCUniversal properties – including MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Oxygen and E! – into it “a new listed company.”
The announcement prompted some social media users, including Donald Trump Jr., to suggest the world's richest man can purchase MSNBC.
Many of the left-leaning network's hosts, including Joe Scarborough, Rachel Maddow and Mika Brzezinski, have criticized Musk and the MAGA movement he supports.
“Hey @elonmusk, I have the funniest idea ever!!!” Trump Jr. posted a graphic on Friday joking that MSNBC would sell for the “best deal.”
“How much does it cost?” responded Musk, whose net value was estimated to have reached a record high of $321.7 billion on Friday.
Musk's response was very much like the one he gave in 2017 when some social media users suggested he buy Twitter. Five years later, he spent $44 billion to purchase the platform, which he renamed X and which he has since used to advertise his right-wing ideology and conspiracy theories.
“I mean, it can’t be much.” Trump Jr. wrote back. “Look at the reviews.”
According to The Wrap, MSNBC viewership reportedly plummeted 38% after Election Day.
Musk's banter with Trump Jr. continued, with the entrepreneur writing: “The most entertaining outcome, especially if it is ironic, is the most likely.”
While Comcast didn't mention selling MSNBC to Musk, the free-spending tech expert has proven he can acquire firms despite opposition from their board, just as he did at Twitter.
Speculation about Musk buying a progressive cable news network comes every week after satirical site The Onion announced it had purchased Alex Jones' far-right “InfoWars” empire in a bankruptcy auction.
Jones was forced to sell the disgraced brand to satisfy a judgment against him related to the lies and conspiracy theories he spread concerning the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. A Texas judge has delayed the acquisition while a court examines details of the bidding process.
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