X Man Apocalypse: Is Elon Musk Really Buying MSNBC?

X Man Apocalypse: Is Musk Really Buying MSNBC?

If you happen to be one of Elon Musk‘s 206 million followers, you probably know the world’s richest man has been mulling the possibility of purchasing MSNBC. Or at least that he was joshing about it with Donald Trump Jr. in a series of pre-Thanksgiving posts on X that seemed custom-built to ruin Rachel Maddow’s holiday. “Hey Elon, I have the funniest idea ever,” the president-elect’s son quipped about a (false) rumor that the liberal-leaning cable news channel was for sale. “How much does it cost?” Musk bantered back in what most observers assumed was a joke. But, of course, many a true word is oft spoke in jest (as Shakespeare once put it in less than 280 characters), and some sharp-eyed Musk watchers noted that the rocket tycoon posted exactly the same jokey sentiments just before he purchased Twitter in 2022 for a $44 billion.

So, how serious might Musk be this time? Probably not very. For one thing, unlike Twitter 2022, MSNBC isn’t for sale. Although its parent company, Comcast, recently announced a spinoff of its cable properties — USA, Syfy, E!, Oxygen, CNBC and, yes, MSNBC — those channels will still end up being owned by the same shareholders. For another, even though Musk is said to be worth $350 billion, most of that money is tied up in Tesla and SpaceX stock, while the $13 billion loan he took on to buy Twitter is costing him $1.5 billion in interest annually. Now is probably not the best time for him to splurge on yet another impulse buy, especially for a property that seems to be losing value every day (about half of MSNBC’s audience reportedly has evaporated since Trump won the election). Still, it’s Musk, so you never know, which might be why Trump-endorsing podcaster Joe Rogan seems to be positioning himself for a sudden midlife career change. “If you buy MSNBC,” he posted to Musk, “I would like Rachael [sic] Maddow’s job. I will wear the same outfit and glasses.” — ALEX WEPRIN

Yes, Virginia, There Is a San Vicente Bungalows. The Latest on Jeff Klein’s New York Moves

It could happen as early as January. Or maybe February. Or perhaps March. But it’ll happen soon, or at least soonish, Rambling Reporter has been assured. We’re referring, of course, to the long-awaited, highly anticipated and much-delayed New York opening of San Vicente Bungalow. Nightlife mogul Jeff Klein, founder of the celebrity-packed private club in West Hollywood, has been trying to launch a Manhattan SVB since he purchased the old Jane Hotel in the West Village in 2022 (to be run by Gabé Doppelt, current membership doyen of SVB L.A.). But the East Coast outpost, which originally was slated to open in June, has been bedeviled by a series of setbacks, from construction snafus to red-tape issues with the city’s landmarks preservation watchdogs to lengthy struggles over building permits. “As painful and difficult as this project has been, it’s going to be the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my entire career by far,” Klein tells THR. “It is absolutely spectacular and singular and special. Good things come to those who wait.” At this writing, it’s hard to say how much longer that wait may be. There are still outstanding permits to be obtained, a process that could be hindered by the holidays. Meanwhile, English designer Rose Uniacke has been hard at work reconfiguring the 116-year-old space — originally built as lodging for visiting seamen, who paid 25 cents a night in 1908 — with a rooftop terrace and garden, a screening room, a basement disco and a restaurant overlooking the Hudson River. Membership, by invitation or by nomination from current members, will range from $1,800 to $4,200 a year, plus an invitation fee of as much as $15,000. — EMILY SMITH

You’ve Been Verified … by Flavor Flav? BlueSky’s Biggest Fan Becomes Its Busiest Gatekeeper

Being the official sponsor of the U.S. women’s Olympic water polo team apparently wasn’t random enough. So rapper turned reality star Flavor Flav, 65, has come up with an even more out-of-left-field side gig for himself; he’s now the unofficial celebrity verifier for BlueSky, the new social media platform that’s trying to become the kinder, gentler Twitter. “It started with my Public Enemy partner Chuck D,” Flav explains about how he found his latest groove. “I wanted to let everyone know he was on BlueSky, and it was really him. Then I had a couple other people I know get on the site, like Jordan Chiles and Dee Snider, and I sort of just welcomed them and said it was really them. They got the Flavor Flav verification.” The platform appears to be gaining traction — it added 7 million users in November, ballooning to 20 million, though that’s still a fraction of X’s 611 million users — and Flav is clearly along for the ride. He recently did a livestream with BlueSky’s COO, CEO and CTO to boost what he calls “the new Instagram” and “the next Twitter,” telling everyone he knows to join. “Give me two years,” he says. “Watch how large this thing will be.” — NICOLE FELL

This story appeared in the Dec. 4 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.