Elon Musk Says He’s Trying to “Help Humanity” By Purchasing Twitter

There’s a reason Elon Musk wanted to buy Twitter—but it takes a lot more than 240 characters to explain.

The Tesla CEO explained his motives for purchasing the social media platform—an acquisition he agreed to in a $44 billion deal back in April.

“The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence,” Elon wrote in an Oct. 27 tweet. “I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love.”

Giving insight on his planned approach, the 51-year-old noted that the platform cannot become a “free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said without consequences.”

After all, in his opinion, a political divide may occur, which he believes will impact advertisers.

“In the relentless pursuit of clicks, much of traditional media has fueled and catered to those polarized extremes as they believe that is what brings in money,” he tweeted. “In doing so, the opportunity for dialogue is lost.”