Elon Musk resigns as Twitter boss – if he sticks to poll, he’ll start himself | Science and technology news

Elon Musk will step down as Twitter boss – if he keeps his promise to stick to the results of a poll asking users for their opinion on his tenure.

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

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

And when the 11.20am deadline passed, 57.5% voted to leave.

musk bought the platform for $44 billion in late October, but his short tenure has been a turbulent one.

And in an apparent attempt to draw a line under his controversial rule, he questioned Twitter Asking users on Sunday if he should resign.

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.”

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.”

If and when he will hand over the day-to-day business of the social media giant is unclear.

In an unusual twist, rapper Snoop Dogg put his name in the hat – by posting his own post on Twitter asking if he should take over.

As of 12.20pm UK time, more than 80% of those entitled to vote said yes.

Earlier Sunday, Mr Musk 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.

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

Click here to subscribe to Sky News Daily, wherever you get your podcasts

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 in debt Musk incurred for the purchase.

On Saturday, Reuters news agency announced that Musk’s team had relocated just days after selling another $3.6 billion in Tesla stock.