Musk acknowledges Salvini's "kind" offer on Twitter.

Twitter owner Elon Musk on Friday acknowledged indirectly an invitation to invest in Italy by the nation’s deputy premier and infrastructure minister Matteo Salvini.

Hailing the Tesla CEO as "one of the main innovative geniuses", Salvini told a webinar organised by Rome newspaper Il Messaggero on Thursday: "I would like him to be able to work more with Italy and in Italy, given that like the MIT [ministry of infrastructure and transport] I’d like to create a centre of attraction for foreign investment and capital that would become a point of reference for innovation.”

Noting that Musk has run into "problems launching in Germany" and claiming that "the car industry in Italy alas no longer exists", Salvini said that inviting the billionaire to invest in Italy "is one of those ambitious goals that we are setting ourselves", adding: "We are throwing open our doors for him."

Musk thanked the leader of the right-wing Lega party indirectly on Twitter, writing: "Kind of him to say. I look forward to meeting."

It would be a pleasure and an honor
For you the doors of my ministry are always open. https://t.co/LYZSU6iXjK— Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) November 19, 2022

His reply was re-tweeted by Salvini with a message in English: "It would be a pleasure and an honor. For you the doors of my ministry are always open."

When Musk acquired Twitter in late October, Salvini welcomed the move enthusiastically, tweeting: "Good news for the network, for democracy and for freedom. I adore Elon Musk."

Buona notizia per la rete, per la Democrazia e la libertà. Adoro Elon Musk. https://t.co/oE6G8xKnRd— Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) October 28, 2022

Salvini's courting of Musk comes as Twitter teeters on the edge, following mass redundancies and mass resignations since the Tesla owner took control of the embattled company.

It also coincides with a poll launched by Musk asking Twitter users if he should reinstate former US president Donald Trump who was banned from the social media site by its previous owners.

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