X marks the spot of Musk mastery

Not since the days of Hendrik Verwoerd, John Vorster and PW Botha has a boykie with a Pretoria connection caused such international “konsternasie op die stasie” as billionaire Elon Musk has done in recent times.

His latest headline-grab concerns his announcement that Twitter – the social network be bought for $44 billion in October last year – would be rebranded with the name X.

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Out goes the blue bird logo, versions of which have been used on the platform since its founding in 2006…and in comes a white X on a black background. Now you won’t tweet any longer, you will “X”.

Perhaps there’s method in the Musk madness, though… much like there was when he took electric car maker Tesla to its benchmark place in the automotive industry.

“X” will be, Musk has promised, “the everything app”, and move quickly into payments, banking and commerce.

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The company’s new CEO, Linda Yaccarino, said: “Powered by AI, X will connect us in ways we’re just beginning to imagine. X is the future state of unlimited interactivity – centred in audio, video, messaging, payments/banking – creating a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities…”

X, then marks the spot where Musk became Master of the Universe.