The Controversial Acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk: Unveiling the Investors and Their Connections

Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in 2022 has stirred up controversy and raised eyebrows due to the involvement of two Russian oligarchs with ties to the Kremlin. The $44 billion takeover, financed by various financial institutions and investment funds, has been labeled as one of the worst ever for the banks that lent money to Musk.

After a federal judge ordered X Holdings Corp to reveal its list of shareholders, it was discovered that entities linked to Sean “Diddy” Combs, Andreessen Horowitz, Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal al Saud, and others have invested in the social media platform. Of particular interest is 8VC, a venture capitalist company co-founded by Joe Lonsdale, which employs the children of sanctioned Russian oligarchs Vadim Moshkovich and Petr Aven.

While there is no direct financial relationship between 8VC and the sanctioned fathers, the US government is now paying closer attention to foreign connections in the tech industry. The National Counterintelligence and Security Center recently issued a bulletin warning Silicon Valley startups about foreign adversaries using investment firms to access sensitive data.

Despite criticism, Lonsdale defended the decision to hire Denis Aven and Jack Moshkovich, praising their talents. However, Ukrainian experts are skeptical of Musk’s ties to sanctioned Russian individuals, with some accusing him of sabotaging the Ukrainian army during the conflict with Russia. The revelation of Russian involvement in Musk’s Twitter acquisition has sparked further scrutiny and raised questions about national security implications.