How are employees and Twitterati reacting to Musk's Twitter buyout
After nearly two weeks and countless back-and-forths, Elon Musk has come out on top of the bitter takeover battle between himself and Twitter. The company's board accepted Musk's bid of $44 billion for complete control of the company. Once the transaction is completed, Twitter will become private. At this moment, it is only imperative that we look into the reactions of various stakeholders.
- The way the Musk-Twitter saga unfurled in a matter of a month is shocking at the very least. A prolific troller, Musk's interest in Twitter was not taken seriously at first.
- But as he pushed forward with his hostile takeover idea, it seemed clear that he was not playing around.
- From a passive shareholder to 100% private owner - surely a story to behold!
The reaction of employees to Musk's takeover of Twitter has largely been pensive and negative. Concerns about their future were clear from the messages that flooded Slack channels. The company has not planned for any layoffs, at least in the foreseeable future. Privatization of the company has also thrown the economic question in the air as many employees receive their compensation in stock.
Can someone just tell me if I’m rich or fired please
— Ned Miles (@nedmiles) April 25, 2022
As the news about the Musk-Twitter deal broke, the question that lingered in many people's minds was about the status of CEO Parag Agrawal. About his future with the company, he said that he'll remain as CEO till the deal is closed. "Once the deal closes we don't know which direction the platform will go," said Agrawal. "We don't have all the answers."
Responding to the Musk-Twitter deal, Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter said, "It (Twitter) has been owned by Wall Street and the ad model. Taking it back from Wall Street is the correct first step." "Solving for the problem of it being a company however, Elon is the singular solution I trust. I trust his mission to extend the light of consciousness," he added.
Elon’s goal of creating a platform that is “maximally trusted and broadly inclusive” is the right one. This is also @paraga’s goal, and why I chose him. Thank you both for getting the company out of an impossible situation. This is the right path...I believe it with all my heart.
— jack⚡️ (@jack) April 26, 2022
Finally, the news of the takeover of Twitter has got the Twitterati into a hyperactive mode. Memes and hashtags have flooded the microblogging site. #twittersold and #ElonMusk are the top two trending hashtags in India. Memes are known to be Musk's desired way of communication. Therefore, it is not surprising to see them taking the front row in welcoming the new owner.
WHO DID THIS pic.twitter.com/M7mIOr1hLm
— Marc Andreessen (@pmarca) April 25, 2022
Musk continued emphasizing the importance of free speech in a functioning democracy as the new owner of Twitter. Describing the microblogging platform as a "digital town square" where "matters vital to the future of humanity are discussed," the Tesla CEO vowed to make it better. Musk wants even the worst of his critics to remain on Twitter.
I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 25, 2022
