Elon Musk was expected to join Twitter’s board over the weekend, the billionaire tweeted about his nearly 81 million followers ideas and changes he wanted to bring to the micro-blogging platform, and deleted some of those tweets just hours after rejecting the seat.
The week-long drama began when Musk shared a 9.1 percent stake on Twitter on April 4 and later said he would take a board seat. But being a director would prevent Mask from becoming the convenient owner of more than 14.9 percent of Twitter’s common stock.
Twitter CEO Parag Agarwal, its co-founder Jack Dorsey and Mask have tweeted their way through the deal, plans and congratulatory messages since the release.
Here are some tweets that were published and deleted after Mask revealed his partnership:
On April 10, 2022, Musk surveyed followers on Twitter to ask if the company’s headquarters in San Francisco should be converted into a homeless shelter. The tweet has now been deleted. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos supported the idea of a mask.
On April 10, 2022, Twitter CEO Agarwal shared a note on Twitter stating that Musk had turned down an offer to join the company’s board. Musk deleted the tweet, where he responded with an emoticon with face-to-face-hands.
Earlier in the day, Musk launched a poll on whether “w” should be removed from Twitter’s name, leaving two voting options, “yes” and “of course.” He also deleted it.
A day earlier, regarding Twitter’s business model, Musk tweeted before deleting it: “And there are no ads. The corporation’s policy-making power greatly increases if Twitter relies on advertising money to survive.” Musk also tweeted about “anyone who signs up for Twitter Blue (i.e. pays $ 3 / month) should get an authentication checkmark” subscription service that offers “exclusive access to premium features” on a monthly basis. He later deleted the tweet.
On April 5, Parag Agrawal also tweeted that Mask was being appointed to the Twitter board. “He is both an ardent believer and a fierce critic of the service we need @ on Twitter and in the boardroom, to strengthen us in the long run,” says a follow-on tweet.
I’m excited to share what we’re hiring @ Elnmask On our board! Through conversations with Elon in recent weeks, it has become clear to us that he will bring great value to our board.
– Pollen Agarwal (8 Parga) April 5, 2022
Jack Dorsio welcomed Musk to the Twitter board in a tweet, adding: “Both Pollen and Elon are leading with their hearts and they will be an incredible team.”
I’m really happy Elon is joining the Twitter board! He cares deeply about our world and the role of Twitter in it.
Pollen and Elon both lead with their hearts and they will be an incredible team. https://t.co/T4rWEJFAes
– Jack: (Jack) April 5, 2022
Just a day before Agarwal’s tweet, Musk posted a Twitter poll asking users if they wanted an edit button. “Do you want an edit button?” Kasturi tweeted the question, in response to which Agarwal said the outcome of the vote would be important. “Please vote carefully,” he tweeted. Earlier in the day, Musk tweeted for the first time since announcing his partnership on Twitter, saying, “Oh hi lol.”
On March 26, Musk said that Twitter’s failure to adhere to the principles of freedom of speech fundamentally undermines democracy and questioned whether a new platform was needed.
