Elon Musk has taken over Twitter, and people have mixed reactions. While some are mourning the loss of a free speech platform, others have applauded the new CEO’s commitment to openness. Musk has also pushed for loosened rules for what’s offensive or harmful on Twitter, and has publicly criticized the censorship of the social media service. Since his takeover, some right-wing influencers have seen their follower count balloon.
Musk’s role at Twitter is similar to that of a private equity firm: he must cut costs and increase revenue. Twitter has more than $13 billion in debt and is projected to pay more than $1.2 billion in annual interest. Ultimately, Musk hopes to sell the company back to public investors and keep the “brand safe” for advertisers.
On Musk’s first day at Twitter, some employees were confused and unsure of their future. During the first meeting, he met with engineers who were at the company’s San Francisco headquarters. One of the engineers said he asked them to print out a piece of code for him, and later told them to “throw it out.” Other meetings were cancelled.
The next day, Musk reportedly fired several of the top Twitter executives. The company’s CEO, Parag Agrawal, and its chief financial officer, Ned Segal, were among those fired. The company also fired Vijaya Gadde, its top legal and policy executive. Despite these changes, Musk has continued to show his commitment to the company.
