Musk: ‘Dear Twitter Advertisers’
In a tweet titled, ‘Dear Twitter Advertisers’, Musk says he bought the company to ‘help humanity’, that it must be ‘warm and welcoming to all’ and that ‘ advertising, when done right, can delight, entertain and inform’:
I wanted to reach out personally to share my motivation in acquiring Twitter. There has been much speculation about why I bought Twitter and what I think about advertising. Most of it has been wrong. The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence. There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far right wing and far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society.
In the relentless pursuit of clicks, much of traditional media has fueled and catered to those polarized extremes, as they believe that is what brings in the money, but, in doing so, the opportunity for dialogue is lost. That is why I bought Twitter. I didn’t do It because it would be easy. I didn’t do it to make more money. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love. And I do so with humility, recognizing that failure in pursuing this goal, despite our best efforts, is a very real possibility.
That said, Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences! In addition to adhering to the laws of the land, our platform must be warm and welcoming to all, where you can choose your desired experience according to your preferences, just as you can choose, for example, to see movies or play video games ranging from all ages to mature.
I also very much believe that advertising, when done right, can delight, entertain and inform you; it can show you a service or product or medical treatment that you never knew existed, but is right for you. For this to be true, it is essential to show Twitter users advertising that is as relevant as possible to their needs. Low relevancy ads are spam, but highly relevant ads are actually content! Fundamentally, Twitter aspires to be the most respected advertising platform in the world that strengthens your brand and grows your enterprise. To everyone who has partnered with us, I thank you. Let us build something extraordinary together.
Dear Twitter Advertisers pic.twitter.com/GMwHmInPAS
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 27, 2022
Musk carries a sink into Twitter HQ
In a physical play on words, Musk walks into Twiter HQ carrying a sink
Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in!
He also updated his Twitter bio to ‘Chief twitt’ and changed his location to Twitter headquarters.
Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in! pic.twitter.com/D68z4K2wq7
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 26, 2022
Musk says Twitter deal will close on Friday
In a video call with bankers who are providing $13 billion in debt financing to his purchase of Twitter, Musk says that he will close the deal on Friday, 28 October. Musk has pledged to provide $46.5 billion in equity and debt financing for the acquisition, which covers the $44 billion price tag plus closing costs. Equity investors, including Sequoia Capital, Binance, Qatar Investment Authority and others have received paperwork for the financing commitment from Musk’s lawyers.
Musk has to comply with a Delaware court judge’s deadline to complete the transaction by the 28th. Twitter declined to comment.
Musk wants to fire 75% of Twitter staff
Elon Musk tells prospective investors that, after his purchase on October 28, he plans to get rid of nearly 75% of Twitter’s 7500 workers, reducing the staff to 2000. Musk has told investors that he plans to double revenue in three years, by reducing costs and tripling the number of users that can view ads.
In June, Musk said he didn’t see a reason low performers should remain employed. Twitter’s top lawyer sent out a note to all employees saying the company did not have any confirmation from Musk about his plans. Human resources staff at Twitter have told employees that they aren’t planning for mass layoffs, but documents show that extensive plans to cut staff and reduce infrastructure costs were already in place before Musk offered to buy the company. Those plans are currently on hold, until after the purchase.
Musk: ‘Obviously we’re overpaying for Twitter right now’
During Tesla’s third-quarter earnings’ call. Musk says that, while he is overpaying for Twitter now, it will be worth it in the long-term
I am excited about the Twitter situation. It’s an asset that has languished for a long time, but it has incredible potential. Although myself and the other investors are obviously overpaying for Twitter right now, the long-term potential for Twitter is an order of magnitude greater than its current value.”
The Twitter stock price on this day is $52.42, compared with Musk’s $54.20 offer.
Musk: Tesla could be worth ‘more than Apple and Saudi Aramco combined’
Pointing to past performance as an indicator, Musk tells analysts during an earnings call, that he sees a path for the auto manufacturer to become the most valuable company in the world.
I see a potential path for Tesla to be worth more than Apple and Saudi Aramco combined. I see a way for Tesla to be roughly twice the value of Saudi Aramco. This is the first time I’ve seen that potential.
Apple and Saudi Aramco are valued at about $2.3 trillion and $2.1 trillion. That growth would imply an over $4T market cap for Tesla. Musk has previously made good on bullish promises. For example, he proclaimed in 2015 that the automaker would exceed a $700B valuation. At the time, the company was worth only about $25B.
Musk thinks Grimes is a ‘simulation’
Journalist Devin Gordon says that Grimes told him that Musk believed that she was his “perfect companion” but not “real”.
She [Grimes] told me repeatedly that Musk has this theory of her that she’s not real. That she’s a simulation who was created by him and exists in his cerebral cortex as sort of the perfect companion to him. Which sounds a little crazy and maybe even a little creepy, except, she agrees with it. She said she does feel like this simulation which was perfectly created for him. Her interests are all the same as his and her music is very technologically oriented, [and they also] both made a similar nerdy joke about a scary AI theory of the future.
In March 2022, Grimes said:
We keep having this conversation where E’s like, ‘Are you real? Or are we living in my memory, and you’re like a synthesised companion that was created to be my companion here?’. The degree to which I feel engineered to have been this, like, perfect companion is crazy.”
Breed: Musk ‘Got tax breaks then took money and ran’
When asked about Musk’s frequent criticism of Democrat-run states and cities, San Francisco Mayor, London Breed says:
You mean the person who got a ton of tax breaks in California and decided to take that money and run?
in 2021, Musk relocated Tesla headquarters from Palo Alto, CA, to Austin, TX, a decision that was met with outrage from California lawmakers who reminded him that Tesla had received more than $3.2 billion worth of direct and indirect subsidies from Sacramento since 2009.
Musk will continue to cover Ukraine Starlink costs
Despite earlier tweeting that SpaceX could not fund Starlink ‘indefinitely’, Musk says he will continue to pay for Starlink to cover Ukraine. SpaceX has told the US government that Ukraine’s use of Starlink has already cost $80 million and could cost close to $400 million over the next 12 months.
The hell with it … even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free
The hell with it … even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 15, 2022
When a Twitter user told Musk “No good deed goes unpunished”, he replied:
Even so, we should still do good deeds.
Even so, we should still do good deeds
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 15, 2022
Musk added to Ukrainian ‘kill list’ website
After the independent journalist Eva Bartlett claimed that Musk had been added to Ukraine’s Myrotvorets (‘Peacemaker’) ‘kill list’ website, Musk asks for more information:
Is this real? What’s the URL?
Is this list real? What’s the URL?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 14, 2022
The website publishes a list and personal information of people who are considered its authors to be “enemies of Ukraine. It recently came to public attention after Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters highlighted his own inclusion on the list. Some Ukrainians who have had their names and addressed published on the list as “collaborators” were hunted down and prosecuted, and the website shows an image of some of the people on the list, who have been “liquidated”, with their images crossed out.
Musk then tweeted a link to a Wikipedia page about the list. Finally, Musk said his inclusion on the list was:
Concerning
Concerning
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 14, 2022
Musk’s name has since been removed from the site.
Musk: SpaceX cannot fund Starlink in Ukraine ‘indefinitely’
Following a report that SpaceX told the US government that Ukraine’s use of Starlink has already cost $80 million and could cost close to $400 million over the next 12 months, Musk says SpaceX cannot fund the existing system “indefinitely and send several thousand more terminals” that have high data usage. SpaceX’s donated Starlink internet terminals have been crucial in keeping Ukraine’s military online during the war against Russia.
SpaceX is not asking to recoup past expenses, but also cannot fund the existing system indefinitely *and* send several thousand more terminals that have data usage up to 100X greater than typical households. This is unreasonable.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 14, 2022
Musk also said he was following the recommendation of Andrij Melnyk, Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, who told Musk to ‘F off’ after he posted his Twitter peace plan.
We’re just following his recommendation 🤷♂️
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 14, 2022
Musk post Starship night photo: ‘This is real’
Musk posts a night image of the newly-stacked Starship, on its launchpad at Boca Chica, Texas, with the caption:
This is real
This is real
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 13, 2022
Zuckerberg: Musk Twitter deal ‘unclear’
Zuckerberg says he doesn’t know how Musk’s Twitter deal will turn out:
I don’t know. I think this is another one of these things that it’s really unclear how it’ll actually turn out. I think it’s interesting as a saga, like you’re saying, but I think even at this point, it’s not actually clear what’s going to happen.
Report: Musk talked to Putin before Ukraine peace plan tweet
In a mailout to subscribers, Ian Bremner, founder the political risk research and consulting firm Eurasia Group, wrote that Musk told him that Putin was “prepared to negotiate”. but only if Crimea remained Russian; if Ukraine accepted a form of permanent neutrality; and Ukraine recognised Russia’s annexation of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
According to Bremmer, Musk said Putin told him these goals would be accomplished “no matter what”, including the potential of a nuclear strike if Ukraine invaded Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Bremmer wrote that Musk told him that “everything needed to be done to avoid that outcome.”
Bremmer also wrote that Musk said he had refused a Ukrainian request to activate Starlink in Crimea.
Musk spoke to Kanye before Twitter block
Musk says he spoke to Kanye West to express his concerns about the musician’s recent tweet about Jewish people. Kanye’s account was locked just a day after he returned to the platform for the first time in nearly two years.
Talked to ye today & expressed my concerns about his recent tweet, which I think he took to heart
Talked to ye today & expressed my concerns about his recent tweet, which I think he took to heart
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 11, 2022
China ambassador praises Musk Taiwan proposal
China’s ambassador to the United States responds to Musk’s China-Taiwan peace proposal.
I would like to thank @elonmusk for his call for peace across the Taiwan Strait and his idea about establishing a special administrative zone for Taiwan. Actually, Peaceful reunification and One Country, Two Systems are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question and the best approach to realizing national reunification. Provided that China’s sovereignty, security and development interests are guaranteed, after reunification Taiwan will enjoy a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region, and a vast space for development.
I would like to thank @elonmusk for his call for peace across the Taiwan Strait and his idea about establishing a special administrative zone for Taiwan. Actually, Peaceful reunification and One Country, Two Systems are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question… https://t.co/KYH1Gsu3Um
— Qin Gang 秦刚 (@AmbQinGang) October 8, 2022
Tesla Semi deliveries to Pepsi start Dec 1
Musk says the Tesla Semi truck will start production with deliveries to Pepsi on December 1. He says the Semi has a 500-mile range and is super fun to drive. Pepsi ordered 100 of the all-electric Class 8 trucks in December 2017, a month after it was announced.
500 mile range & super fun to drive
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 6, 2022
Riley: Musk woke up screaming in terror about bankruptcy
Musk’s ex-wife says that came close to a meltdown in 2008 when Tesla was haemorrhaging money and SpaceX had failed three times to launch a rocket into orbit.
He was trying to avoid bankruptcy. Every day Elon would come home and say, ‘That’s it. He was being ridiculed by the press. He would have these night terrors in the middle of the night. We’d be fast asleep and suddenly he would be screaming in his sleep, like he was trying to climb up and escape something. He gave me an out. He said, ‘This is going to be the hard part, you don’t have to stay for it’.
The actress said her ex-husband was vindicated when SpaceX finally became the first private company to launch a rocket into orbit, netting Musk a $1.5bn Nasa contract.
It was the first thing that went right. Elon was at his most joyous, incredible, wonderful. He went from being ridiculed to suddenly, his word was gospel.
Musk SEC letter confirming Twitter purchase released
Musk’s letter [link] to the SEC, confirming purchase of Twitter, is released. The purchase is conditional on debt financing and a stay of action of the Twitter-Musk court case.
Gentlemen: On behalf of X Holdings I, Inc., X Holdings II, Inc. and Elon R. Musk (the “Musk Parties”), we write to notify you that the Musk Parties intend to proceed to closing of the transaction contemplated by the April 25, 2022 Merger Agreement, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein and pending receipt of the proceeds of the debt financing contemplated thereby, provided that the Delaware Chancery Court enter an immediate stay of the action, Twitter vs. Musk, et al. (C.A. No. 202-0613-KSJM) (the “Action”) and adjourn the trial and all other proceedings related thereto pending such closing or further order of the Court.
Lithuanian president: ‘When someone steals the wheels of your Tesla, it doesn’t make them the legal owner’
Lithuanian’s president responds to Musk’s second poll, asking if the people who live in Donbas & Crimea should decide whether they live in Russia or Ukraine:
Dear @elonmusk, when someone tries to steal the wheels of your Tesla, it doesn’t make them legal owner of the car or of the wheels. Even though they claim both voted in favor of it. Just saying.
Dear @elonmusk, when someone tries to steal the wheels of your Tesla, it doesn't make them legal owner of the car or of the wheels. Even though they claim both voted in favor of it. Just saying. https://t.co/0eEjCydqu1
— Gitanas Nausėda (@GitanasNauseda) October 3, 2022