In the end, because his choices were to agree to the purchase or wage a court battle that he wasn't likely to win. The former costs ~$44 billion; the latter pro

In the end, because his choices were to agree to the purchase or wage a court battle that he wasn't likely to win. The former costs ~$44 billion; the latter probably still costs $44 billion, but also court costs and whatever embarrassing/damaging stuff that comes out in discovery. As to why he made the offer in the first place, who knows? But whatever the reason, it's fairly obvious that he regretted it almost as soon as the ink was dry.