Elon Musk has introduced his intention to resign as CEO of Twitter, an announcement that comes shortly after he carried out a straw ballot the place 57.5% of 17.5 million respondents voted he ought to go. The ballot in itself was possible a smokescreen for selections already made, with Musk’s takeover of the platform mired from its beginnings in chaos, veering by way of authorized motion to completion, adopted by mass firings and on-the-hoof coverage adjustments.
That is in some methods an act of misdirection. Elon Musk owns Twitter and that’s most unlikely to vary within the quick time period. As this 12 months has proven, the billionaire shouldn’t be afraid to make unpopular selections and wade into the mud-slinging aftermath, however lots of his adjustments have been hasty, poorly applied or rolled-back.
Musk’s takeover was accomplished in October, since when about half of Twitter’s workforce has been fired. His foremost audience-facing change to the positioning, paid-for verification within the type of Twitter’s blue ticks, was launched, frozen, and not too long ago re-launched. A few of his selections are merely questionable whereas others, resembling suspending journalists who cowl Twitter in methods he does not like, are indefensible.
Nevertheless personally impervious to criticism he could also be, Musk has change into as divisive a determine because the modern web has: and it is not simply randoms shouting about him on Twitter. The EU threatened Twitter with sanctions over the journalist suspensions, whereas within the wider world Musk’s antics have centered monumental investor scrutiny on Tesla: shares in that firm have fallen in worth by 65% within the final 12 months (a part of which might be attributed to Musk promoting a piece of his personal holding).
I’ll resign as CEO as quickly as I discover somebody silly sufficient to take the job! After that, I’ll simply run the software program & servers groups.December 21, 2022
CNBC reported that Musk has been on the seek for his alternative for a while, which Musk replied to on Twitter with some laughing emojis. “Nobody needs the job who can truly hold Twitter alive,” Musk wrote after the poll had closed. “There isn’t any successor.”
Not true: MySpace Tom wants the job.
Naturally, hypothesis ranges from believable candidates throughout large tech to Kermit the Frog and the return of Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.
The large query for any candidate shall be Musk’s future position on the platform. He says he’ll stay working key parts of it, and even earlier than this complete saga started was a massively well-liked and prolific Tweeter. There’s additionally some a part of his persona that clearly revels in enjoying the troll and annoying folks, and Musk will finally nonetheless be in command of the entire operation. This type of seems like a nightmare boss state of affairs.
Or to place it in plainer phrases: this complete factor has been like watching a ’00s discussion board mod tantrum.