Tesla founder Elon Musk has admitted that his tweet about purchasing Manchester United was part of a "long-running joke" that has been ongoing on social media.
The US billionaire took to Twitter on Tuesday evening to claim that he was buying the Old Trafford outfit. However, Musk, 51, clarified the meaning behind the tweet just a few hours later.
In his initial tweet, Musk posted: "To be clear, I support the left half of the Republican Party and the right half of the Democratic Party!
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"Also, I'm buying Manchester United ur welcome."
Unsurprisingly, the tweet quickly attracted comments and speculation. It also received more than 36,000 retweets and almost 200,000 likes in just a few hours.
The response, which was to be expected, prompted Musk to clear up what he meant in his tweet, with several people asking the Tesla boss if he was serious about buying United from the Glazer family, who are under increasing pressure to sell the club after a torrid start to the new Premier League campaign. Musk confirmed it was part of an ongoing joke and that he has no plans to buy the club.
Musk, in response to a question asking if he was serious, replied: "No, this is a long-running joke on Twitter. I'm not buying any sports teams."
Musk later tweeted: "Although, if it were any team, it would be Man U. They were my fav team as a kid."
United supporters, who are planning to stage another protest against the Glazers ahead of next Monday night's clash with Liverpool at Old Trafford, are desperate to see a change in ownership. The Glazers have been at the helm since 2005 and have overseen a gradual decline over the last decade.
Their ownership has come under severe scrutiny in recent weeks following a below-par summer transfer window. United are desperate for new signings and have struggled to get players through the door, bringing in just three new faces so far.
Last week, former United director Michael Knighton confirmed his intentions to attempt to buy the club with the backing of a consortium. However, his attempts have been met with a feeling of scepticism from the fans, as many believe he does not have sufficient funding to oust the Glazers.
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