Apollo Global Management, the buyout firm that owns Yahoo, has discussed financing a possible takeover offer for Twitter, a person familiar with the company's thinking told Barron's.
Apollo (ticker: APO) would not be the buyer, but has been talking to various parties who are interested in acquiring Twitter (TWTR) about financing the deal, the person told Barron's.
Last week, billionaire and Tesla $(TSLA)$ CEO Elon Musk made a $43 billion offer for Twitter, prompting speculation about his intentions and his ability to finance such a deal. The social media company defensively adopted a poison pill to thwart a potential hostile takeover. It means Musk can't launch a tender offer for the shares directly from fellow Twitter shareholders.
Twitter, which is scheduled to report its earnings on April 28, is expected to reject Musk's offer.
Apollo could provide Musk or another suitor with the equity or debt to make an offer, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Apollo has also been evaluating potential cooperation between Yahoo and Twitter, the Journal reported.
Private equity firm Thoma Bravo LP and Morgan Stanley have also separately reported interest in joining a deal to acquire Twitter.