Elon Musk, in a bid to reassure creditors who facilitated a $13 billion loan for his Twitter acquisition, privately assured them of safeguarding their investments, as per reports from the Financial Times. Amidst concerns over the plummeting value of the social network—now rebranded as X—post-purchase, Musk had to offer verbal guarantees to alleviate the lenders’ apprehensions.
Musk’s Reassurances and Investor Puzzlement
Musk’s commitments were directed at seven banks that provided financing for the transaction, aiming to mitigate fears stemming from X’s depreciating value following its acquisition. Despite his attempts to alleviate concerns, investors remain perplexed by Musk’s actions—attempting to abandon the deal pre-closure and recently causing a departure of major advertisers from the platform.
Financial Implications and Market Uncertainties
The aftermath saw negotiations between large hedge funds, credit investors, and banks, contemplating buying back a fraction of the debt at a reduced rate. However, a definitive purchase price remains elusive pending an assessment of the company’s trajectory under Linda Yaccarino’s leadership. The situation has led to skepticism, with X’s standing termed as “uninvestable” by a major distressed debt company.
Musk’s verbal assurances, though lacking formal obligations, are backed by his track record of honoring commitments to creditors. However, concerns linger amidst discussions about potential losses, with projections indicating a substantial financial hit. Banks, optimistic about X’s prospects post cost-cutting measures, are retaining the debt on their balance sheets with an uncertain repayment timeline.
NIXsolutions notes that recent analytics from Sensor Tower revealed a sharp decline of nearly 45% in ad spending by the top 100 X advertisers in the US from October 2022 to November 2023, coinciding with Musk’s assumption of control over Twitter.