The founder of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk, this Thursday took control of Twitter, after completing the purchase of the social network for 44 billion dollars, reported the American specialized press.
After a months-long soap opera, the world’s richest man immediately fired CEO Parag Agrawal, as well as Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal and Twitter Legal Affairs Officer Vijaya Gadde, according to the Washington Post.
Twitter did not immediately respond to a contact made by AFP.
Musk had until Friday to close the purchase of the social network, otherwise a trial would be held in November. The deal had been dragging on since, at the end of April, the businessman launched a takeover offer for $44 billion, which Twitter reluctantly accepted.
Musk tried to unilaterally reverse the deal in early July, accusing the company of having lied to him, but the social network’s board of directors took the matter to court, until signs that the operation was finally under way multiplied throughout the week.
Future of civilization
Musk tried to reassure advertisers by declaring today that he wants to allow the expression of all opinions on the social network without making it a “hellish” platform where everything will be allowed.
“It is important for the future of civilization to have an online public space in which a wide variety of opinions can be debated in a healthy way, without resorting to violence”, highlighted the entrepreneur in a message aimed at the brands responsible for most of the revenue of the Twitter.
Musk told advertisers that he’s not looking to “make money” from the purchase, but “trying to help humanity.” “In addition to respecting the law, our platform must be welcoming to everyone,” he emphasized.
In commercial terms, Musk maintains that it is essential for the company to display ads that correspond to “the needs” of Internet users.
After the purchase, “the culture of the company could change profoundly and quickly,” said Adam Badawi, a professor of law at UC Berkeley.
