Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest individual and a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump, has recently taken to social media to criticize MSNBC, referring to it as "the scum of the Earth" and accusing the network of spreading "puerile propaganda." Musk's recent comments, including a declaration that "MSNBC is going down," have been followed by a series of memes suggesting he might be interested in purchasing the channel. While many dismiss these posts as mere jests, they have contributed to a growing sense of unease among MSNBC employees, particularly in light of Trump's re-election prospects and the recent announcement of Comcast's cable channel spinoff.

I spent a significant portion of Sunday speaking with various sources to gain insight into the situation. It was revealed that several benevolent billionaires with liberal credentials have reached out to MSNBC contacts to express a potential interest in acquiring the cable channel. This has been a source of reassurance for some, as it indicates that figures like Musk—who famously acquired Twitter with the intention of disrupting it—would not be the sole candidates for ownership.

Contrary to claims circulating on social media, Comcast has not placed MSNBC on the market. If the company's CEO, Brian Roberts, had been genuinely interested in selling the liberal-leaning news channel, he could have done so already. Instead, he has opted to transfer MSNBC, along with several other cable channels, into "SpinCo," a new, standalone cable programming company. The goal of this spinoff is to enhance the value of both Comcast and SpinCo shares, as the separation of these profitable yet challenged channels is anticipated to be beneficial. Comcast has indicated that this process will take approximately one year.

At that juncture, could a buyer emerge with an offer for MSNBC? The situation is complex. SpinCo is structured as a tax-free spinoff, and any immediate divestment of assets could have tax implications that might deter such a sale. As analyst Benjamin Swinburne of Morgan Stanley, a financial advisor to Comcast, stated in a recent note to investors, "We would typically expect a two-year waiting period before any potential further strategic action by SpinCo to preserve the tax-free nature of the spin, although we believe there are scenarios where industry consolidation, including SpinCo, could happen earlier."

In addition, SpinCo executives may determine that divesting MSNBC is not in the best interest of shareholders, given that the channel's dedicated viewership provides leverage in negotiations with cable distributors. Those involved in the spinoff have expressed their intention to be aggressors in the market, seeking to acquire new channels rather than gradually selling off existing ones. The idea of selling MSNBC to curry favor with the incoming president is not part of their strategy.

I have observed a considerable amount of enthusiasm within MSNBC regarding SpinCo, as the new structure is expected to facilitate increased investment in MSNBC, CNBC, and other brands. However, Musk's posts should not be disregarded. He famously hinted at his pursuit of Twitter with a tweet inquiring about its price. Similarly, he has now questioned the cost of MSNBC, responding to Donald Trump Jr., who shared a meme falsely claiming that MSNBC was for sale and suggested a humorous idea to Musk. Joe Rogan also chimed in, expressing interest in Rachel Maddow's role if Musk were to acquire MSNBC, albeit with a misspelling of her name and a promise to continue her style of reporting.

The trio's followers have lauded these exchanges, and Musk has continued to engage with the idea throughout the weekend, even promoting a homophobic meme that compared Maddow to Mark Cuban. By Sunday, Trump Jr. proclaimed that he might have started something significant, given the overwhelming support for the idea. Former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz also expressed his full support for the concept.

While the mockery is the central point of these interactions, there is a more serious undertone: "media capture." This phenomenon occurred in Hungary, where far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's close allies purchased private television and radio stations, transforming them into pro-government outlets, as reported earlier this month. "Media capture" is a part of what Protect Democracy's Executive Director Ian Bassin refers to as "autocratic capture," where the government uses its power to enforce loyalty from the private sector. Bassin warned on a recent episode of Vanity Fair's "Inside the Hive" that the United States could be at risk of experiencing this across various sectors.

Gábor Scheiring, a former Hungarian parliament member, wrote in a recent Politico Magazine essay that Orbán consolidated media control through centralized propaganda, market pressure, and the support of loyal billionaires. In the United States, he argued, liberal-minded billionaires should not remain passive as they did in Hungary, allowing the right to dominate the media landscape.

I inquired with Cuban, a significant billionaire supporter of Vice President Kamala Harris, about his interest in MSNBC. He responded, "I don't think there is anything anyone can do to change the impact of linear TV news. So the answer is no." Cuban added, "People feel like MSNBC is not doing enough to rival Fox. I don't see that. What could they do differently? Fabricate conspiracy theories? Fully embrace crypto?" He continued, "I would rather promote Bluesky and hope it helps them aggregate an audience and create a network effect that empowers all viewpoints. I think with the addition of real-time news and sports, it could give Twitter a run for its money."