![\"Elon](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/138BF\/production\/_129336008_musktwitterinterview.jpg.webp)
<\/picture><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nOver the weekend I decided to drop Elon Musk an email. He’d just added a label on Twitter to a BBC account saying “government funded media”. I thought I’d send him a link to how the BBC is funded – predominantly through the licence fee.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “Is the Twitter label accurate?” was the response I got which came from Mr Musk, rather than a media team. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n My editor suggested I have a bash at asking for an interview. Why not have a go, we thought.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n On Tuesday lunchtime I typed an email, requesting a chat about his first six months as Twitter boss. To my surprise, he responded. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “Sure, how about tonight?” he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n I wasn’t totally sure if he was being serious. I prepped for the interview, hoping it would happen – but wondering if it actually would.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The curveball came just before the interview – when Elon Musk’s team insisted the interview should be live on Twitter Spaces. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n We responded saying if Twitter Spaces was going to be live, then we’ll put it on the BBC channel too. “Cool,” he said. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n According to his team, more than 3 million people logged in to listen on Twitter Spaces. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Straight off the bat, it was clear he was going to answer my questions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “Did you buy Twitter because a court was going to force you to?” I asked. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n He replied: “Yeah, yeah I did”. It was a startlingly frank answer – which set the tone for the interview. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n A court may have forced Mr Musk to buy Twitter, because he made an offer for the social media platform then backed out of the deal. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The previous owners and Elon Musk were set to face off in court but before that happened, the billionaire made a surprise U-Turn and bought the platform. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n It’s the first time Mr Musk has admitted that, even when he walked into Twitter with that sink – all in smiles – he didn’t really want it to happen. He’d rather have not bought the company. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Since he has taken over Twitter, he has laid off large swathes of his workforce and made what many see as unorthodox business decisions including introducing paid-for-verification. Many also say Twitter has become a more dangerous platform for users without enough appropriate moderation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The billionaire loves chaos and messing with the media. Several times it felt like he was trying to interview me. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Asking him whether Twitter had become a more hateful place, Mr Musk pushed me to try and name specific examples I’d seen. He was enjoying it at this point.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The BBC has previously documented that misinformation is a problem on the platform, yet Mr Musk disagreed. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n I pointed out that you can’t have it both ways – a platform that allows people to post what they wish without being censored, surely also disseminates misinformation? <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n But Mr Musk claimed reducing bots, which he says he is doing, will reduce misinformation. This felt like his weakest answer. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n