NewsBytes
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    More
    In the news
    Mukesh Ambani
    WhatsApp
    Reliance Jio
    OPPO
    Vivo
    Sensex
    Bitcoin
    NewsBytes
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    NewsBytes
    User Placeholder

    Hi,

    Logout


    India Business World Politics Sports Technology Entertainment Auto Lifestyle Inspirational Career Bengaluru Delhi Mumbai Visual Stories Find Cricket Statistics Phones Reviews Fitness Bands Reviews Speakers Reviews

    Download Android App

    Follow us on
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
     
    Home / News / Business News / Elon Musk mocks sacked Twitter employee with disability, then apologizes
    Business

    Elon Musk mocks sacked Twitter employee with disability, then apologizes

    Elon Musk mocks sacked Twitter employee with disability, then apologizes
    Written by Athik Saleh
    Mar 08, 2023, 01:50 pm 3 min read
    Elon Musk mocks sacked Twitter employee with disability, then apologizes
    Musk apologized to Thorleifsson for misunderstanding the situation

    Elon Musk spent most of Monday and Tuesday engaged in a war of words with a former Twitter employee. Haraldur Thorleifsson, who was until recently an employee at Twitter, had a surreal exchange with the CEO. During the conversation, Musk questioned Thorleifsson's work ethic and mocked his disability. However, he later apologized for the way he treated Thorleiffson.

    Why does this story matter?

    • Since Musk's takeover, Twitter has gone through multiple rounds of layoffs. The company's cost-cutting initiatives have taken a significant toll on employees, most of whom found out they were fired only after failing to log into their computers.
    • Thorlefsson's case gives us a glimpse of how Twitter's HR has dealt with layoffs. Maybe HR department is also shorthanded.

    Thorleifsson was locked out of his computer

    Thorleifsson (who goes by "Halli") joined Twitter in 2021 when the company acquired his start-up, Ueno. Last week, he found himself locked out of his work computer when he tried to log in. He tried to get an update on the status of his employment from Twitter. However, after nine days of no answer, Thorleifsson decided to catch Musk's attention.

    Musk questioned Thorleifsson's work and disability

    "Maybe if enough people retweet you'll answer me here?" Thorleifsson asked Musk on Twitter. His tweet did grab Musk's attention as he wanted. The CEO quizzed him about his work. However, Musk wasn't satisfied with Thorleifsson's answers about his work. The billionaire did not stop there, though. He also questioned Thorleifsson's disability (he has muscular dystrophy) and his need for accommodations.

    Thorlefsson claimed disability as an excuse to not work: Musk

    "The reality is that this guy (who is independently wealthy) did no actual work, claimed as his excuse that he had a disability that prevented him from typing, yet was simultaneously tweeting up a storm. Can't say I have a lot of respect for that," Musk said. To this, Thorleifsson responded with a long thread where he described his illness and its effects.

    Check out how Thorleifsson responded to Musk's mockery

    Hi again @elonmusk 👋

    I hope you are well.

    I’m fine too. I’m thankful for your interest in my health.

    But since you mentioned it, I wanted to give you more info.

    I have muscular dystrophy. It has many effects on my body.

    Let me tell you what they are: https://t.co/2vb16kP6Yv

    — Halli (@iamharaldur) March 7, 2023

    Musk talked to Thorleifsson via video call

    After going back and forth, it seems Musk had a change of heart. In a series of posts, Musk said he had a video call with Thorleifsson to talk about "what's real" and what he was told. He apologized for the "misunderstanding" of Thorleifsson's situation. "He is considering remaining at Twitter," Musk said. The CEO also endorsed talking to people over communicating via tweets.

    Musk had a change of heart

    Based on your comment, I just did a videocall with Halli to figure out what’s real vs what I was told. It’s a long story.

    Better to talk to people than communicate via tweet.

    — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 7, 2023
    Share this timeline
    Facebook
    Whatsapp
    Twitter
    Linkedin
    Latest
    Twitter
    Elon Musk

    Latest

    Happy birthday, Kangana Ranaut: Films that prove she's Bollywood's 'Queen' Bollywood
    Can Opera disrupt browser market with ChatGPT and ChatSonic integration ChatGPT
    'The Last of Us': Why is it best videogame adaptation HBO
    Is 2023 Hyundai VERNA better than 2023 Honda City Hyundai Verna

    Twitter

    Tesla cars blink on 'Naatu Naatu'; Elon Musk reacts RRR
    Kannada actor Chetan Kumar arrested over objectionable 'Hindutva' tweet Kannada Films
    Screenshot of man's unfortunate work history goes viral LinkedIn
    Sonali Kulkarni issues statement after controversial speech on 'Indian women' Bollywood

    Elon Musk

    The world now has fewer billionaires: Here's what happened India
    Elon Musk to open source Twitter's algorithm on March 31 Twitter
    What is Twitter's Community Notes and how to become contributor Twitter
    One thing other AI chatbots can learn from ChatGPT's mistake OpenAI

    Love Business News?

    Subscribe to stay updated.

    Business Thumbnail
    Indian Premier League (IPL) Celebrity Hollywood Bollywood UEFA Champions League Tennis Football Smartphones Cryptocurrency Upcoming Movies Premier League Cricket News Latest automobiles Latest Cars Upcoming Cars Latest Bikes Upcoming Tablets
    About Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Contact Us Ethical Conduct Grievance Redressal News News Archive Topics Archive Download DevBytes Find Cricket Statistics
    Follow us on
    Facebook Twitter Linkedin
    All rights reserved © NewsBytes 2023