What else Elon Musk could have bought for $61 billion

The world's wealthiest man Elon Musk now owns Twitter after the social media company accepted his multi-billion-dollar offer. (Source: Getty)

After a week of wild speculation, billionaire Elon Musk has locked in the purchase of social media platform Twitter for around $61 billion (US$44 billion).

It seems like an awful lot of money for an unprofitable social media platform, leaving many people wondering if the money could have been better spent.

• Also read: Elon Musk buys Twitter for $44 billion and flags big changes

• Also read: Why Elon Musk and Bill Gates are NOT friends

• Also read: Elon Musk’s favourite interview question, and 12 others

Here’s what else Musk could have spent this kind of money on.

Solving world hunger many times over

Back in 2021, World Food Programme chief David Beasley told CNN Musk could spend 2 per cent of his wealth - around $8.3 billion (US$6 billion) - and end world hunger.

The billionaire said he’d “sell Tesla stock right now” and donate the money if the United Nations (UN) could show him “exactly how” the money would be spent towards the cause.

If WFP can describe on this Twitter thread exactly how $6B will solve world hunger, I will sell Tesla stock right now and do it.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 31, 2021

Just weeks after the UN's World Food Programme did produce a detailed plan, Musk donated around $5.74 billion to an anonymous charity.

It’s still not clear where the donated funds ended up.

A bunch of coveted sports teams

The ultra-rich love buying sports teams.

For the massive sum of $61 billion, Musk could have bought a whole lot of them.

According to Forbes’s rankings of the most expensive sports teams in 2021, American football team the Dallas Cowboys was the most valuable sports team, with a valuation of $7.9 billion (US$5.7 billion).

Entire countries (were they for sale)

While countries aren’t exactly up for sale, the GDP of countries such as Bolivia, Venezuela and Bahrain are below $61 billion.

Several Buckingham Palaces

Mansions are another top spot for parking money if you are extremely wealthy.

Though perhaps not for Musk. He recently claimed he did not even own a place to call home, and had been sleeping on his friends’ couches.

Imagining the world’s richest man did want to buy some property, he could buy six Buckingham Palaces, which at $9.3 billion (US $6.7 billion), is the world’s most valuable home.

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