Viral posts on social media claim that tech billionaire and White House senior adviser Elon Musk has purchased the MSNBC news network.
“7 MINUTES AGO: Elon Musk announced that he has acquired MSNBC for $900 million to put an end to toxic programming,” a Facebook user with 1.1 million followers shared to the platform on March 19. “Elon Musk demonstrates the influence of financial power!” an X user tweeted on March 21. “He has revealed his purchase of MSNBC for $900 million, aiming to eliminate harmful programming against him.”
Musk has not purchased or acquired MSNBC. The network is owned by NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast, and does not appear to be for sale.
Comcast announced in November 2024 the creation of a new spinoff company, “SpinCo,” that will own an assortment of media entities, including MSNBC. SpinCo’s formation is still under development, and NBCUniversal is still the direct parent company of MSNBC, although Comcast expects the transition to be completed later this year. “SpinCo will be a leading independent publicly traded media company comprised of most of NBCUniversal’s cable television networks, including USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel along with complementary digital assets Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine,” a Comcast March 20 press release stated in an announcment that business executive David Novak will serve as chairman of SpinCo’s board of directors. While it’s possible that Comcast executives could change their business strategy if presented with a compelling offer from potential buyers, Comcast has not publicly commented on any discussions or negotiations, and the company’s current plan for MSNBC appears to lie within SpinCo.
Elon Musk has previously expressed interest in acquiring MSNBC on social media. On November 22, 2024, Donald Trump Jr. replied to an X post claiming MSNBC is “up for sale,” stating, “Hey
Elon Musk I have the funniest idea ever!!!” Musk replied to Trump Jr. later that day, asking, “How much does it cost?” (CNN reported later that week that Comcast was not looking to sell MSNBC.)
Musk also has a history of criticizing MSNBC. One day before he replied to Trump Jr.’s social media post, Musk tweeted, “Now MSNBC is going down,” in response to a separate X post sharing a two-year-old clip of then-MSNBC anchor Mehdi Hasan speculating on the future of X, then known as Twitter. Musk has also accused MSNBC of “peddl[ing] puerile propaganda.”
The Dispatch Fact Check has reached out to Comcast for comment.
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