The claim and clarification
CNBC's August 17, 2022 report described Elon Musk posting that he was buying Manchester United and then clarifying that the remark was part of a long-running Twitter joke. The clarification is essential to understanding the original post. The report did not establish that he had bought the club or entered a binding purchase agreement.
Source [1]What would establish a takeover?
A credible transaction account identifies the buyer, seller, assets or shares, conditions and an official announcement or filing. A famous person's tweet can attract attention without supplying any of those details. A proposed bid, an agreement subject to conditions and a completed purchase are also different stages.
The related Mbappé article applies the same distinction to player transfers: an offer reported in one year is not the same event as a signing confirmed years later. Keeping those stages separate prevents a viral sports headline from becoming a false ownership history. This page concerns the August 2022 joke; it is not an account of every later investment in Manchester United or an investment recommendation.
Source [1]