Responding to a question about whether Washington had national security concerns around the world’s richest man, US President Joe Biden said at a press conference on Wednesday that it is worth looking into whether Elon Musk’s links to foreign countries and his takeover of Twitter are a threat to US national security.
Musk acquired Twitter for a reported $44 billion and officially took over the helm on October 27.
Noting he’s not suggesting that Twitter’s new boss is doing anything inappropriate, Biden said he’s open to looking into Musk’s affairs, noting that the federal government should investigate his joint acquisition of Twitter with foreign governments.
As Bloomberg has reported, Musk’s takeover of the social media platform was partly financed by the government funds of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which obtained stakes in the new private company.
The Saudi prince is the second-largest investor in the new parent company with regulatory filings showing he moved almost 35 million Twitter shares worth about $1.9 billion through the Kingdom Holding Co.
A subsidiary of the sovereign wealth fund of Qatar, Qatar Investment Authority, contributed $375 million in exchange for Musk’s holding company shares.
The White House denied last month the reports they’re discussing launching a national security review of some of Musk’s ventures, including Twitter, the purchase of which sparked concerns that Musk could face pressure from the abovementioned countries trying to control online speech.
Ahead of the midterms, the Tesla and SpaceX executive urged Americans to elect a Republican Congress in the US midterms, arguing that shared power curbs the worst excesses of both parties, given that the Presidency is Democratic.
It is the first time a major social media CEO explicitly took a side in some elections though Musk has been increasingly critical of Democrats and the Biden administration for their proposals to tax billionaires and offer more tax incentives to union-made electric vehicles.
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