Someone says Billy Crystal and you immediately think of When Harry Met Sally. Unfortunately, however, people rarely ever credit him as the person who almost contributed to Twitter not falling into the care of Elon Musk. Back when the ownership over the social media platform had reached its insurmountable peak, several bidders – each more unlikely than the last – contended for the same job. As usual, there could only be one winner in the race, and this contest required neither artists nor collaborators, but rather someone with deep pockets, vision, and enough ambition to back their stake. As far as Elon Musk was concerned, he checked all the right boxes.
Also read: “After Spending $44 Billion?”: Elon Musk Resigning as the CEO of Twitter Sparks a Heated Debate
Billy Crystal & David Letterman’s Bid to Takeover Twitter
In early 2022, the world waited in anticipation as days turned into weeks and news of the Twitter bid started growing increasingly volatile. Before Elon Musk’s public poll asking users about their opinion on whether he should take over the company, more drama behind the scenes was brewing out of the public eye. Once the deal went through and Twitter was officially the property of the tech goliath business owner and SpaceX founder, another player came out with his own story about what went down during the bidding wars era.
Infamous late-night talk show host, David Letterman, and his actor friend, Billy Crystal, had put their collective hat in the ring to be the new owners of the company, according to the former. However, one little hiccup, unpredictable and unforeseen as it was, went a long way toward contributing to what was either the luckiest mistake recorded in the world of billionaire businesses or the silliest anecdote to be recorded in Letterman’s memoir (if there ever is any) – thus giving an entirely new meaning to the Taylor Swift lyrics: Wondering if I dodged a bullet or just lost the love of my life. Or in this case, Twitter.
Dave came very close to buying Twitter. Congrats @elonmusk, it’s all yours now. pic.twitter.com/wU54hcSNoF
— David Letterman (@Letterman) April 26, 2022
In April ’22, once the Tesla founder went through with the deal and became a proud and legal parent to Twitter, David Letterman publicly recounted the story of his attempted misfire on the platform and extended his congratulations to Elon Musk.
Billy Crystal Accidentally Foils David Letterman’s Plans
Billy Crystal’s rise to prominence may have accorded him to great heights in lieu of his screen and Broadway career as well as his role behind the lens, but it was the 1989 romantic comedy, When Harry Met Sally, arguably the most beloved rom-com of the modern era, that immortalized Crystal. He later went on to make his directorial debut with Mr. Saturday Night in 1992 – an event that would go on to play a big part exactly 2 decades later.
Also read: 18 Brilliant Rom-Com Movie Details You Normally Don’t See In the Genre
The offer to buy Twitter was responded to by David Letterman & Co. with a bid of $33.9 billion which was initially well-received by the social media giant. However, receiving a better bid, Letterman was extended the offer to up his stake. While the late-night host scrambled to gather the funds needed to secure the deal, unbeknownst to him, Billy Crystal was occupied with something that was a bit more interesting than a multi-billion dollar war over a microblogging website – the table reading for the very same Mr. Saturday Night that was being pitted for a Broadway stage musical. Letterman says:
“The early bird catches the worm. I put together some people and we talked to Bob Jenkins about buying Twitter. We made an offer of $33.9 billion. Over the weekend I get a call, and they ask, could you go to $44 billion, or $44 billion and one.
I couldn’t get a hold of all my people and the next thing I know, Elon Musk snatches it from under us. I wouldn’t blame this on Billy Crystal, but he was busy doing a table read for Mr. Saturday Night, but there you go. Something else will come along.”
Elon Musk initiated the Twitter acquisition on 14th April 2022, concluding it on October 27 of the same year. Considering the blowback, boycott, and controversies associated with the new ownership and the new regulations (or the lack thereof), the public is only left to wonder what could have been only if Billy Crystal had picked up the phone on that fateful day.
Source: Twitter | David Letterman
