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Floyd Mayweather Jr.: It’s too soon to talk about selling Shots photo app

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Reports have swirled recently that Twitter is looking to acquire Shots, a year-old photo-sharing app that has investors including Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Justin Bieber.

Mayweather, currently undefeated as a professional boxer, said Friday he was unaware of any such rumors and would pump the brakes on talks about selling the app, which has grown to have more than 3 million users.

“It’s not a good idea for them to sell right now,” Mayweather said in a statement to The Times. “Everything great comes with time. Shots is only a year old and the app keeps getting better, bigger and becoming more relevant.”

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Shots is primarily meant for sharing selfies. However, its creators say, it stands apart from other social media because it is driven by a positive, anti-bullying structure. Comments on photos are not allowed, and users can’t see how many followers others have. All this is done to ensure a positive experience, co-creator John Shahidi told The Times in a recent interview.

Mayweather and Bieber use the app on a regular basis.

Speculation that Twitter was looking to buy the company followed a recent public tweet sent by Twitter chief financial officer Anthony Noto, which he apparently meant to be a direct message.

The tweet was quickly deleted, but was saved by numerous reporters. It said: “I think we should buy them. He is on your schedule for Dec. 15 or 16 -- we will need to sell him. I have a plan.”

Mayweather said he told Shahidi and his brother, Sam, the other creator of Shots, that they should not feel pressured into anything but that they have his support no matter their decision.

“If I’m with you, I’m with you no matter what,” Mayweather told The Times. “I support any decision they make.”

John Shahidi declined to comment for this story, and attempts to reach Twitter for comment were unsuccessful.

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