Gary Zhou 
It appears that Tesla CEO Elon Musk does not really intend to become a passive investor on Twitter, after all. As per a form 13-D filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Musk has reclassified himself as an active investor in the social media company. Such a designation makes sense considering his place as part of Twitter’s Board of Directors.
Earlier this week, Musk filed a beneficial ownership report paperwork with the SEC to indicate his 9.2% stake on Twitter, which is comprised of 73,486,938 common stock. Interestingly enough, the box that was checked on the filing indicated that the document was a Schedule 13-G, which is a relatively simple disclosure for investors who wish to take a passive role in a company.
Musk’s designation as a “passive” Twitter investor became quite confusing to some on Tuesday following reports that the Tesla and SpaceX CEO was taking a role as part of the social media company’s Board of Directors. If Musk had intentions to maintain an active role on Twitter, a more detailed Section 13-D form should have been filed. Sure enough, an updated filing was posted on Tuesday, seemingly as an amendment to Musk’s Schedule 13-G.
Musk’s updated SEC filing is a Section 13-D form, which signifies that he intends to take on the role of an active investor. Interestingly enough, the 13-D form included sections about Musk not owning more than 14.9% of the company as a condition for joining Twitter’s Board of Directors.
More importantly, Musk’s 13-D filing revealed that the Tesla and SpaceX CEO used cash to purchase Twitter stock from January 31 to April 1, 2022. The prices of Musk’s Twitter purchases ranged from $32.80 to $40.30 per share, which is quite a bit lower than Twitter’s closing price of $50.98 per share on Tuesday. Musk’s Twitter stock purchases were made in increments, with the largest one being 4,839,507 shares that were brought on February 7, 2022.
Musk’s new role as part of Twitter’s Board of Directors and his place as the social media company’s single largest shareholder has been received warmly by the company’s executives. Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, while confirming Musk’s appointment to the company’s Board, welcomed the Tesla and SpaceX CEO. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey was the same, stating that Musk and Agrawal both “lead with their hearts.” Musk, for his part, noted that he is excited about his role on Twitter, especially since “significant improvements” are in store for the social media platform in the coming months.
