Initially written for The Australian.

That’s what Elon Musk stated about his bid for Twitter at a TED Discuss in Vancouver a number of weeks again. And certainly, a lot of the media consideration of late has pertained to his views on free speech and what his possession would possibly imply for the way forward for the world’s hottest place for public discourse.

These are essential points that society must take care of urgently.

Regulating who can say what must be the job of democratically elected governments, not privately owned corporations. However Twitter’s shareholders, together with Forager, have to reply our personal questions properly earlier than that concern will probably be resolved. Does Musk actually not care concerning the economics? Or does he additionally spy a possibility to make himself tens of billions of {dollars}?

Twitter is maybe an important media asset on this planet. It’s nearly definitely essentially the most sustainable of the social media giants. Beloved by geeks and wonks, it’s by no means going to be as cool as TikTok. However therein lies its energy – each era has its geeks and wonks.

All of that ought to place Twitter among the many Most worthy social media property. However it isn’t – not even shut. Regardless of a share value shellacking for Meta over the previous yr, the proprietor of Fb, Instagram and WhatsApp remains to be price greater than $US500 billion ($694 billion). And teenage multi-media immediate messaging app Snapchat is price $US50 billion. That’s 60% greater than Twitter’s $US30 billion valuation previous to Elon Musk turning up on the scene.

There are few corporations on this planet the place there’s such a gaping vast gulf between truthful worth based mostly on at the moment’s historical past of mismanagement and what the worth of enterprise could be beneath superb stewardship and execution. So, Musk’s initially rebuffed method to purchase Twitter at $US54.20 per share had me in two minds.

At first, I believed that it was, maybe, truthful worth for Twitter as it’s at the moment.

That bid has since been endorsed by the Twitter board and the corporate has entered right into a definitive settlement to be acquired on phrases largely unchanged from the unique proposal. However it massively undervalues Twitter because it may and must be, and a few of that potential belongs to Forager’s unitholders.

A part of me feels reduction. An issue may very well be taken off our fingers for a good premium, and at a time when alternatives elsewhere abound. Executing Twitter’s troublesome turnaround after years of falling in need of potential whereas paying out immense, undeserved riches to workers? That’s now anyone else’s downside.

However what’s stronger is the sensation of disappointment.

I’m disillusioned that, through the years, the Twitter board couldn’t do extra to take advantage of that colossal gulf in worth between what Twitter is and what Twitter may very well be. We’ve handed out billions of {dollars} of stock-based compensation to workers – together with $US630 million in 2021 alone – for a product that’s largely, sadly unchanged from what it was when the corporate listed a decade in the past. A favorite past-time of standard customers is to joke about how the advertisements they see couldn’t probably be extra irrelevant.

And now, because the baton is handed to Musk, that very same board has carried out little to extract blood from the brand new proprietor to pay the previous homeowners for all that unrealised potential.

Contemplating that the board itself might be the primary clarification for that yawning hole, I shouldn’t be stunned. However I’m disillusioned. I’d sensed change the previous few years, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient and didn’t come fast sufficient. We’ve carried out all proper as a shareholder, however we should always have carried out a lot better.

Musk is making an attempt to purchase Twitter on a platform of delivering free speech to the world. I’ve little doubt he feels strongly about that. However I additionally suppose he’s going to make much more cash than he’s letting on. Even when he doesn’t personally care whether or not the corporate makes a revenue, his bid is backed by world funding banks together with Morgan Stanley, Financial institution of America and Barclays. So you may relaxation assured that they’ve seen a marketing strategy they like.

We stay satisfied that Twitter’s proprietor could make immense quantities of revenue. Sadly, although, it’s trying more and more seemingly that isn’t going to be us.

The Forager Worldwide Shares Fund has holdings in Twitter and Meta.