Musk's Twitter Bid Will Be Good Case Study, Academic Says

Elon Musk's $44 billion Twitter takeover saga comes with all the drama necessary to be immortalized in case studies for future captains of industry as the tycoon's on-off pursuit of the social media platform and unique management style make for a union like no other, Andres Gonzalez, Svea Herbst-Bayliss and David Randall reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: Twitter headquarters

The chief executive of electric car maker Tesla Inc. performed a U-turn by proposing to buy Twitter at the agreed price having spent months trying to get out of the deal, just as a Delaware Court was getting ready to rule on the standoff.

"This is unique in many cases," said Arturo Bris, Professor of Finance and Director of IMD World Competitiveness Center.

"It is definitely a business school case study. Because it's about poison pills, breakup fees, lawsuits, hostility."

While there are examples of acrimonious or hostile takeovers such as AOL-Time Warner and Sanofi-Aventis-Genzyme, here the world's richest man - who has long used his own Twitter account to press for more freedom of speech - is working to impose his will on another corporation.

Musk's attempt to take over Twitter is "a gift to professors and students," said Joshua White, a professor at Vanderbilt University, calling the situation "unprecedented."

"Frankly I hate doing mgmt stuff," Musk wrote in a text message to Twitter Chief Executive Parag Agrawal in the run-up to making an offer for the company, according to legal documents related to the battle.

"I kinda don't think anyone should be the boss of anyone," he wrote, while another message noted he could "interface way better with engineers who are able to do hardcore programming than with program manager/MBA types."

While the messages reflect his unusual approach to running a business, taking control of Twitter will mean managing it, at least initially. Musk has said he would take the reins as CEO but only until he finds a new executive with expertise in the media industry.

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