As the deadline for the closing of the Twitter sale agreement – dated October 28 – approaches, the rumors are climbing positions. More, if possible, when Elon Musk is at the controls of the transaction. The last of them has come from the hand of a report, in the handwriting of the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, which points to the dismissal of 75% of the Twitter staff in case the employer gets hold of it. This would mean laying off almost 5,600 employees out of the slightly more than 7,000 they have.
Then, and as they advance in Bloomberg, Twitter’s general counsel, Sean Edgett, warned company employees about the high volume of rumors that would increase in the coming weeks. Regarding the dismissal of most of the social network’s workforce, the lawyer pointed out that there was no official confirmation of Elon Musk’s plans. Although yes a more than safe more conservative line with the future of Twitter in which there would be cuts of some kind to ensure a higher volume of income in the coming years.
Rumors or not, panic has been spreading in the offices of Twitter for some time. Since it became known that Elon Musk could be planning to take over the social network, there has not been a calm day. The employer does not help, of course, with a horde of comments on his own Twitter account, each one more absurd. Later with the comings and goings regarding the purchase, it seems that now it will opt for the acquisition and with a board of directors assuming the conditions of the businessman. As a result, Twitter’s workforce may be the most stressed group of people on the global tech scene right now.
With everything, and as already anticipated the Washington Postcuts have always been a reality; It has been for several months in the international technological universe. Faced with a period of cutbacks and moderation in investment, as well as great political and economic uncertainty.
The situation on Twitter was not drawn as serious as it is at this time. Therefore, a very simple question arises: Can Twitter work with such a severe reduction in staff? Of course, it would have to, but it’s not clear how it could take on all the weight with less staff. Analysts point out, in fact, that this could simply be a way to convince investors willing to give their lives for more income and less costs.
In spite of everything, where surely the ranks do not touch too much, it would be in the security area. One of Elon Musk’s obsessions, with the issue of false accounts – which almost ended up destroying the purchase intention –, this group would have ensured continuity. But the bottom line is that Elon Musk only knows the tip of the iceberg, which is Twitter. With moderation and management problems behind him, the businessman – who prefers to automate with machines and algorithms to have humans – is still not aware of the magnitude of the monster he has in his hands.
Along the way, also the shadow of the rumor to disassemble Twitter to create a whole new social network. Known as X on paper, it would be the seed for a new brand that concentrates new functions. A kind of WeChat in China, or a super app from which to control all kinds of services. In this case, and in the face of a total reconversion, the dismissal of almost the entire workforce would be a fact.