Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to the applause after Saudi billionaire Prince Alawalid bin Talal turned down an offer to buy Twitter for $ 43 billion. “I do not think the offer from @elonmusk ($ 54.20) is close to the intrinsic value of @Twitter given its growth prospects,” Alaweed wrote on Thursday. “Being one of the largest and long-term shareholders of Twitter, [Kingdom Holding Company] & I reject this offer. “ TWITTER SHAREHOLDERS WIN IN ELON MUSK SEARCH FOR JUSTICE Alaweed holds a 4.45% stake in Twitter, while Kingdom Holding, the company that owns it, owns 0.72% of the company. Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during a press conference at SpaceX’s Starbase facility near the village of Boca Chica in South Texas on February 10, 2022. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images) “Interesting,” Musk replied bluntly on Twitter. “Just two questions, if I may. How much of Twitter does the Kingdom own, directly and indirectly? What are the Kingdom’s views on journalistic freedom of speech?” Saudi law does not provide for freedom of expression or freedom of the press, the US State Department said in 2018. “The media and all other media will use political and polite language, contribute to the education of the nation and strengthen unity,” the Basic Law states. “It is forbidden for the media to commit acts that lead to disorder and division, affect the security of the state or its public relations, or undermine human dignity and rights.” In this October 2, 2019 archive photo, a Turkish police officer passes in front of a photo of the murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Kasogi before a ceremony, near the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, on the one-year anniversary of his death. (AP Photo / Lefteris Pitarakis, Archive / AP Newsroom) Authorities are responsible for regulating and identifying speech or expression that undermines internal security, and the government may ban or suspend the media if it concludes that they are violating press and publication laws. The Biden government declassified a report last year accusing Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of approving an operation to arrest or assassinate journalist and dissident Jamal Kasogi. This long exposure image shows a trail of a SpaceX Starlink satellite group passing over Uruguay as seen from the countryside about 185 miles north of Montevideo near Capilla del Sauce, Florida, on February 7, 2021. (Photo by MARIANA SUAREZ / AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images) The Justice Department has indicted two former Twitter employees in 2019, accusing them of spying for Saudi Arabia in order to target critics of the regime. When podcaster Alex Barredo brought this to Musk’s attention, he showed an interest in the story. Musk’s moves on Twitter boosted the company’s share price. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT FOX BUSINESS The social media giant’s market capitalization reached $ 40 billion when it revealed its 9.2% stake in the company this month, according to the Dow Jones Market Data Group, from $ 29.9 billion on Jan. 31 when it began trading. loads shares unknowingly. to the investing public.