RIYADH: Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said Elon Musk will be an “excellent leader” for Twitter, as he agreed to roll his $1.89 billion stake into the deal rather than cashing out.

“I believe you will be an excellent leader for Twitter to propel and maximize its great potential,” Alwaleed said in the tweet responding to Kingdom Holding and Musk.

“Kingdom Holding Company and I look forward to roll our ~$1.9 bn in the ‘new’ Twitter and join you on this exciting journey,” he added.

Prince Alwaleed had on April 14 opposed the buyout bid, saying the price offered by Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, did not come close to the intrinsic value of Twitter given its growth prospects.

On Thursday he said in the tweet it was great to connect with his “new friend” Musk.