Elon Musk makes his pitch to Twitter's advertisers

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Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk tweeted a message aimed at Twitter (TWTR) advertisers on Thursday, a day ahead of an Oct. 28 deadline to complete his $44 billion deal to buy the platform.

Musk said most speculation about his reasons for buying Twitter is wrong. He’s not buying the company to make more money, or because it would be easy to operate, he said. Instead, Musk said he wants to own Twitter to “help humanity” by encouraging nonviolent debate.

“The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wider range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence,” Musk wrote. “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 the money, but, in doing so, the opportunity for dialogue is lost.”

The message to advertisers comes after a legal battle with Twitter following Musk's attempt to back out of his deal to buy the platform. Twitter sued Musk, and he agreed to complete the deal on its original terms.

ANKARA, TURKIYE - OCTOBER 06: In this photo illustration, the image of Elon Musk is displayed on a computer screen and the logo of twitter on a mobile phone in Ankara, Turkiye on October 06, 2022. Muhammed Selim Korkutata / Anadolu Agency
ANKARA, TURKIYE - OCTOBER 06: In this photo illustration, the image of Elon Musk is displayed on a computer screen and the logo of twitter on a mobile phone in Ankara, Turkiye on October 06, 2022. Muhammed Selim Korkutata / Anadolu Agency (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Musk has pledged to allow for more open speech on the platform, prompting speculation that he would allow Donald Trump back on Twitter. Still, Musk told advertisers that Twitter “cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said."

Musk also laid out ideas for making Twitter a more attractive place for advertisers. Users of the platform, he said, should be shown high quality ads that are relevant to them.

When executed properly, ads can rival the content that its users post to Twitter’s platform, according to Musk. Ads can entertain and inform, such as introducing users to a new medical treatment, he noted.

“Fundamentally, Twitter aspires to be the most respected advertising platform in the world that strengthens your brand and grows your enterprise,” Musk wrote.

If the Twitter-Musk deal doesn't close by 5 p.m. on Oct. 28, the two sides will go to trial in November.

Alexis Keenan is a legal reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow Alexis on Twitter @alexiskweed.

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