Twitter says waiting period for Elon Musk's deal has expired

Completion of the deal is now subject to remaining customary closing conditions. PHOTO: REUTERS

BENGALURU (REUTERS) - Twitter said on Friday the waiting period under the HSR Act for Elon Musk's US$44 billion (S$60.5 billion) acquisition of the social media firm has expired.

Completion of the deal is now subject to remaining customary closing conditions, including approval by Twitter stockholders and the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals, Twitter said.

The HSR Act, or the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, requires parties to report large transactions to both the Federal Trade Commission and the US Department of Justice Antitrust Division for review.

The development comes as Mr Musk said last month that the Twitter deal was "temporarily on hold", while he sought more information about the proportion of fake accounts on the platform.

Mr Musk has secured funding for the deal, which includes US$33.5 billion through equity financing and US$13 billion through loans against Twitter. Twitter's shares rose about 2 per cent to US$40.62 in pre-market trading.

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