Factcheck: Did Twitter Suspend Elon Musk’s Account After He Pulled Out Of $44 Billion Buyout Deal?

Fake News Alert: Twitter did not suspended Elon Musk account after he infamously pulled out of the USD 44 billion buyout deal?

New Delhi: Did Twitter just suspended Elon Musk account after he infamously pulled out of the USD 44 billion buyout deal? Well, that is what a cheeky yet misleading viral tweet doing the rounds of the microblogging app suggests.  Elon Musk on Friday announced that he will abandon his tumultuous offer to buy Twitter after the company failed to provide enough information about the number of fake accounts.

Following the announcement,  a Twitter user posted: “they suspended @eIonmusk fr??”

In what seen like an innocent tweet, when one clicked on the handle, it takes the user to a page of the suspended Twitter account. But, there is a catch. On searching Elon Musk’s name on Twitter, users are are directed to his reach profile that is very much active.

they suspended @eIonmusk fr??

— surya (@sdand) July 9, 2022

What’s the catch?

The suspended account tagged in the tweet has an uppercase I instead of the letter l. To naked eyes, it looks identical to Tesla CEO’s real user name.

Vigilant Twitterati spot the difference

The similarity between the real and fake username was so uncanny that many netizen fell for the fake news. However, those who paid a little more attention to the suspended account’s handle spot the difference were quick to inform others.

how u do dis

— Andreas Bigger (@andreaslbigger) July 9, 2022

That’s crazy

— Andrew Abony (@aabony) July 9, 2022

It’s an i

— andre (@andsnc) July 9, 2022

The i(I) makes all the difference.

— OLXXFXLABX (@oluxfxlabx) July 9, 2022

What’s Happing With Musk’s Twitter Buyout Deal?

Twitter said Friday it will sue Elon Musk to complete the USD 44 Billion merger he has rejected and is “confident” it will prevail. The statement came as Musk’s tumultuous bid to buy Twitter looked on the verge of collapse after the Tesla CEO sent a letter to Twitter’s board saying he was terminating the acquisition.

The possible unraveling of the deal is just the latest twist in a saga between the world’s richest man and one of the most influential social media platforms. Much of the drama has played out on Twitter, with Musk – who has more than 95 million followers – lamenting that the company was failing to live up to its potential as a platform for free speech.