Elon Musk asks Twitter users if he’s boss of social media site | to resign Science and Technology News

Elon Musk is asking Twitter users whether he should step down as head of the social media platform.

Mr Musk, one of the richest people in the world, bought Twitter for $44 billion in late October, but his short tenure was tumultuous.

The Tesla and SpaceX owner launched his poll just after 11pm UK time and wrote: “Should I step down as Twitter boss?

“I will stick to the results of this poll.”

About 20 minutes later, as the yes votes steadily progressed, he added, “As the saying goes, be careful what you want because you might get it.”

At 7am UK time, 13.5million users had voted and 56.7% said Mr Musk should resign.

Responding to a number of user comments, he told one, “The question isn’t finding a CEO, the question is finding a CEO who can keep Twitter alive.”

He added: “No one wants the job that can actually keep Twitter alive. There is no successor.”

Another user volunteered for the job and Mr Musk replied: “You must be very fond of pain.

“One catch: you have to invest your life savings in Twitter and it has been on the fast track to bankruptcy since May.

“Do you still want the job?”

Earlier on Sunday, he had declared war on social media rivals Twitter by banning the promotion of their accounts from his platform.

This means that user accounts could be banned, suspended, or deleted for posting links to their profiles on other social media sites, including Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, and Mastodon and Donald Trump’s Truth Social.

Last week he restored the Twitter accounts of several journalists who had been banned for a day over his concerns about the release of public data about his plane.

The billionaire laid off thousands of workers when he took over, prompting concern over monitoring of abuse and disinformation on the site.

The site last week dismissed his Confidence and Security Councila group of charities and activists who advised website bosses on their moderation policies.

Three council members who had resigned had complained that Mr Musk was creating a “two-tier” Twitter where paying subscribers would get more benefits than free users.

They warned it would “take away from the credibility of the system and the beauty of Twitter, the platform where everyone can be heard.”

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As he took charge, Mr Musk pledged to improve Twitter, rid it of fake accounts and improve freedom of expression.

But it’s lost many of its key advertisers as concerns grow about its direction — and its ability to pay interest on the $13 billion debt Mr. Musk incurred to purchase it.

On Saturday, Reuters news agency said Mr Musk’s team had just days after selling more Tesla shares worth $3.6 billion.