The chief executive’s debt load, his divided attention and Twitter’s own challenges could all take a toll on his electric-car company.
Elon Musk’s deal for Twitter has features that make it risky, including billions of dollars of personal debt. If it goes wrong, it could burn Tesla shareholders and strain Twitter’s financial health. As Tesla has become one of the world’s most valuable companies, its stock has become widely owned by retail investors through mutual funds and other investment vehicles. Mr. Musk has demonstrated that he can build two large, successful companies at once: After some stumbles, Tesla sells far more electric vehicles than any competitor, and SpaceX is a leading rocket company. And he may be able to make Twitter more popular and profitable.