Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, has revealed he would like to buy Manchester United before it “goes into decline”. Speaking to Joe Rogan during a two-hour podcast interview, the 49-year old businessman said he considered buying the Premier League side in 2018. When asked if he was interested in buying the club with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Musk replied that he’d had previous conversations about acquiring United.” I was going to do it at one point but I didn’t end up doing it,” Musk said on The Joe Rogan Experience.” I think it’s probably better if no one knows about it. It’s not clear that the public owns the team anyway. “It’s like a crown jewel of football!”
“It’s like a crown jewel of football!”
If you’re a fan of Manchester United, then this is good news. The club is one of the most valuable teams in the world and has been for decades. It’s also one of the most valuable sports franchises in all of sports—and it’s not even close!
The list goes on: Forbes estimates that Manchester United is worth $3 billion (more than any other team), while Bloomberg ranks them at No. 8 on their list of most valuable clubs worldwide at $2 billion each year; ESPN puts their value at around $20 billion; and Fortune recently put them third on its list of top global brands at $1 trillion each year.
Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, has revealed he would like to buy Manchester United before it “goes into decline”.
Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, has revealed he would like to buy Manchester United before it “goes into decline”.
The billionaire entrepreneur made the comments after being questioned by a fan on Twitter about his interest in buying the Premier League club. He replied: “I think I could be tempted if they went into decline.”
The Tesla CEO, who is worth $20 billion according to Forbes, has previously talked about his desire to buy a football club. In a podcast interview with Joe Rogan in December 2018, Musk said he considered buying Manchester United in 2018 but decided against it because he was “too busy” with work.
In an interview with The Independent, Mr Musk explained that he thought football clubs were set to become more expensive over time as a result of their popularity. He added that any hypothetical offer would have to be timed just right and said: “I think the value of football clubs will go up over time, but it’s not going to happen overnight.”
Mr Musk also predicted that Premier League teams would continue to be seen as some of the best in world – but added: “If you look at what happens when one team buys another one then it might be less attractive than having no change.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t say this but we’ve talked about it every now and again,” Musk said after admitting his interest in buying United.
“Maybe I shouldn’t say this but we’ve talked about it every now and again,” Musk said after admitting his interest in buying United.
“I’m sure he [the Crown Prince] would love to see me as an owner of Manchester United,” he added.
Musk made the comments during an interview on CNBC’s “Fast Money” program with host Jim Cramer that was filmed prior to Tuesday night’s game between Liverpool FC and Manchester City FC at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, England (a city known for being home of both Liverpool Football Club and The Beatles).
“I think it’s probably better if no one knows about it. It’s not clear that the public owns the team anyway.”
“I think it’s probably better if no one knows about it. It’s not clear that the public owns the team anyway.”
The billionaire tech mogul went on to say that he was interested in buying Manchester United because he wanted access to their global fan base and its financial resources. Musk is known for being a fan of soccer, watching matches with his sons in Los Angeles and attending games when they’re played nearby.