Billionaire Elon Musk, who purchased Twitter for $44 billion in October of the previous year, recently revealed in a BBC interview streamed live on Twitter Spaces that his experience running the social media platform has been tumultuous, describing it as “quite painful” and “a rollercoaster.” Mr. Musk further expressed that he would consider selling the company if he finds the right person to take over.
In the interview, which took place on Wednesday morning, Mr. Musk’s remarks come in the wake of the British broadcaster’s objection to its Twitter account being labeled as “government-funded media.” The BBC has maintained that it has always operated independently and contacted Twitter to clarify the matter.
Reflecting on his time at Twitter, Mr. Musk stated, “It’s not been boring. It’s been quite a rollercoaster.” He acknowledged that the workload has been intense, at times requiring him to sleep in the office and find solace on a couch in a library that is seldom used.
Despite the challenges, Mr. Musk affirmed that he believes acquiring Twitter was the right decision. However, he did not shy away from acknowledging the stress he has experienced in recent months while managing the platform.
“The workload means that I sometimes sleep in the office,” said Mr Musk, adding that he has a spot on a couch in a library “that no one goes to”.
Speculation regarding Elon Musk’s intentions to sell Twitter has gained traction due to recent documents filed by the company in a California court in relation to a lawsuit. These documents revealed that Twitter Inc. has merged with a newly-formed entity called X Corp, leading to the statement that Twitter “no longer exists”.
This development aligns with Mr. Musk’s vision for the company, as he had previously stated that the acquisition of Twitter was a step towards creating “X, the everything app”. X.com was originally an online bank co-founded by Mr. Musk in 1999, which later merged with Confinity Inc. and was renamed as PayPal.
The implications of this change for Twitter remain unclear, as the platform has undergone significant changes under Mr. Musk’s leadership. However, according to an independent software engineer cited by the New York Times, these changes have largely been cosmetic in nature.
Mr. Musk has made several notable changes to the microblogging platform Twitter since taking over as its owner. One of the most shocking changes was when he covered the “W” in the platform’s name outside Twitter’s headquarters in San Francisco, which caught many by surprise. In addition, Mr. Musk briefly replaced the platform’s iconic blue bird logo with the popular doge meme on the web version of Twitter.
Furthermore, Mr. Musk made controversial decisions such as reinstating several accounts that had previously been banned for life, including that of former US President Donald Trump, which sparked a heated debate among users.
As the self-proclaimed “Chief Twit”, Mr. Musk also announced a plan to charge $8 for users to join an exclusive club with a coveted blue tick, which faced criticism from many celebrities. However, Mr. Musk defended the decision by citing the operational costs of the company.
Additionally, Mr. Musk allocated different colors for various categories on Twitter, such as gold for companies, grey for governments, and a blue check for individuals, including celebrities. These changes have generated significant attention and discussion among Twitter users and the wider public.
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