--- title: "Elon Musk Predicted “World War III” in Just-Released Text Message" description: "Elon Musk began having doubts about his Twitter deal earlier this year over concerns that the United States and Russia may enter into \"World War 3.\"" date: "2022-09-08" modified: "2022-09-08" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-world-war-three" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "lawsuit" - "the digest" - "twitter" --- # Elon Musk Predicted “World War III” in Just-Released Text Message ![Elon Musk began having doubts about his Twitter deal earlier this year over concerns that the United States and Russia may enter into "World War 3."]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* ## Slow Your Roll Today in news that seems stranger than fiction: a possibly out-of-context text message, sent by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, in which the mercurial billionaire claims he was reconsidering his deal to buy Twitter because of the possibility of "World War III." As [the *Wall Street Journal* reports](), Musk made the comment to one of his Morgan Stanley lenders in early May — a mere *two weeks* after agreeing to buy Twitter for a cool $44 billion. During the end of oral arguments in Twitter's breach-of-contract lawsuit against the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, lawyers on both sides revealed jarring evidence, including that Musk had been in contact with a high-ranking whistleblower. And, on the flip side, that he was worried about a global war breaking out. "Let's slow down just a few days. Putin's speech tomorrow is really important," the SpaceX and Tesla CEO wrote to Michael Grimes, Morgan Stanley's head of global technology investment banking, per comments read aloud by Twitter lawyer Bill Savitt. "It won't make sense to buy Twitter if we're heading into World War III." As [*Insider* notes](), Musk's lawyer Alex Spiro claimed the text was taken out of context, and said that the full exchange between his client and the Morgan Stanley executive would be filed on the court docket next week. Spiro specifically called the Twitter lawyer's read-along of the Musk text "utter nonsense." ## Context, Please The *Insider* report also describes the back-and-forth between Musk's defense and Twitter's attorneys as something of a he-said, she-said, with the Twitter side arguing that the Tesla CEO only wanted to withdraw from the deal for personal financial reasons. Musk's attorneys argued, in turn, that their client changed his mind about the deal after speaking to former Twitter head of security [Peiter "Mudge" Zatko](), who claimed there were substantial privacy issues at the social media company and that Musk had been misled by its leadership about them. "\[Twitter's\] theory about what really happened," Spiro said, "isn't what really happened." Whether Zatko's claims can be used in Musk's countersuit is now in the hands of a judge — and you'd best believe it's only going to get juicier from here. **READ MORE:** [Elon Musk and Twitter Trade Barbs at Wide-Ranging Hearing]() \[*The Wall Street Journal*\] **More Musk lawsuits:** *[Racketeering Lawsuit Accuses Elon Musk of Pumping Up Dogecoin Value]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()