S. Korea’s Mirae Asset in talks to help fund Elon Musk’s Twitter deal – source

SAN FRANCISCO – South Korea’s Mirae Asset Financial Group is planning to commit about 300 billion Korean won ($208 million) to help finance Elon Musk’s $44-billion buyout of Twitter Inc, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday.

The deal with Mirae is expected to be finalized in the coming days before the deadline for the closing of the Twitter deal on Oct. 28, the source added.

Mirae Asset earlier this year invested in Musk’s rocket and satellite company SpaceX, the person said.

Musk’s lawyer and Mirae Asset were not immediately available for comments.

The Korea Economic Daily earlier reported Mirae Asset’s investment plan for Twitter.

Analysts say Musk needs to attract more equity investors to finance the Twitter purchase and avoid further sales of his stock in electric carmaker Tesla.

Earlier this month, a Delaware judge gave Musk until Oct. 28 to close his takeover of the social media platform.

Tesla investors have feared the billionaire might sell more Tesla stocks to finance the deal, weighing on its shares.

($1 = 1,442.9400 won)