Musk's 'joke' ManU tweet unlikely to land him regulator's red card: Experts

It is unlikely that the SEC would be able to demonstrate that Musk was trying to commit securities fraud, based on the available information, said several attorneys.

Washington, Aug 17 (Reuters) - While the U.S. securities regulator is likely to examine Elon Musk's tweet in which he joked about buying New York-listed soccer club Manchester United , legal experts say that on its face the crack is unlikely to land him in hot water.

Musk, the world's richest person, briefly lifted the gloom over the club's shares by tweeting on Tuesday: "I'm buying Manchester United ur (sic) welcome," to his 103 million followers, adding later that it was a "joke." Even so, the 51-year-old Tesla CEO's musings ignited Manchester United shares, which briefly jumped as much as 17%