Elon Musk's friends had privately told him not to purchase Twitter, Axios is reporting.
The warning by Musk's pals came after they realized he wasn't joking about acquiring the social media giant, the news outlet said.
Musk, founder of Tesla, is attempting to back out of the $44 billion deal. A trial is scheduled for October in Delaware.
Sources tell Axios they believe Musk has the ability to improve Twitter, but they are concerned he might have underestimated the problems unique to Twitter. They are also worried about Twitter distracting from his efforts at Tesla and SpaceX.
Some said they first learned of his intentions from Musk's tweets.
LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman told the Axios' podcast, "How It Happened" about his reaction when he first learned of Musk's attempt to purchase Twitter.
"I think I had the reaction of most people. It was like, 'Oh, my God, another huge problem,'" he said. "He's already dealing with a large number.'"
Greylock, Hoffman's venture capital firm, turned down Musk's offer to join him in investing in Twitter, Axios noted.
But he admitted: "I was one of the people who thought you couldn't do both Tesla and SpaceX and clearly was wrong ... Elon's right that Twitter needs innovation."
Meanwhile, Twitter's shareholders on Tuesday approved the $44 billion buyout by Musk. The outcome of the deal will be decided in the expected court battle, according to Reuters.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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