Twitter employees to meet with new board member Elon Musk

Twitter plans to hold a meeting for employees concerned about Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk’s influence on the company’s board, a Twitter spokesperson said on Friday.

The Twitter official did not disclose the timeframe or format for the meeting.

The social media company named Musk to the board on Tuesday after the outspoken and polarising executive disclosed he had acquired a more than nine percent stake in the company, making him Twitter’s largest shareholder.

In announcing the appointment, Twitter Chief Executive Parag Agrawal said he was “excited” to name Musk, calling him “a passionate believer and intense critic of the service which is exactly what we need”.

Musk said he looked forward to soon making “significant improvements to Twitter”. 

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The Tesla chief began polling his followers on whether to add an “edit” button to the service, a long-discussed tweak.

But Musk is a break-the-mold figure in American business. On Thursday, he tweeted a photo of himself smoking marijuana on a Joe Rogan podcast in 2018, with the caption, “Twitter’s next board meeting is gonna be lit.”

His antics often raise eyebrows and occasionally draw condemnation, as when Jewish groups blasted his tweet comparing Canadian leader Justin Trudeau to Adolf Hitler over Covid-19 vaccine mandates. Musk later deleted the tweet without apologising.

The appointment has sparked misgivings among some employees, according to a Washington Post report.

Workers at the California-based social media company cited worries about Musk’s statements on transgender issues and his reputation as a difficult and driven leader, according to statements on Slack reviewed by the Post.

His arrival has cheered some Wall Street analysts, who have been frustrated by Twitter’s difficulty in meaningfully monetising its business.

But skeptics have pointed out that Musk has bullied critics in the investment community and fired or penalised workers who have spoken out or tried to unionise. 

A California agency has sued Tesla, alleging discrimination and harassment against black workers. The electric carmaker has rejected the charges, saying it opposes discrimination.