Musk tweet joking about buying Manchester United causes stir

Elon Musk attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala on May 2, 2022, in New York. Musk caused a stir among Manchester United fans by tweeting that he was buying the English soccer team, then saying several hours later that it was just part of a long-running joke. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Elon Musk caused a stir by tweeting that he was buying the English soccer team Manchester United - whose current owners are opposed by many fans - then saying several hours later that it was a joke.

It comes as the billionaire Tesla CEO faces a legal battle in the U.S. after backing out of a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion. He is a prolific user of the platform, often musing about social issues or joking with his 103 million followers and occasionally getting into trouble with the U.S. regulators.