‘Fire Me Daddy El*n:’ Twitter Employees React to Musk Takeover

Following news of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s upcoming buyout of Twitter for $44 billion, employees at the firm have reacted with a mix of excitement, fear, and humor.

The Wall Street Journal reports that reactions to Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter have been mixed among company employees as many begin to question the future of the company. Twitter accepted Musk’s $44 billion bid on Monday with Musk stating his plans to take the company private, allowing him to implement a number of changes including, he claims, a new dedication to free speech.

However, Musk’s vision for the company is at odds with many working at the firm. Musk appears to plan to allow more open and free discussion across the platform which will likely not align with Twitter’s recent “inclusivity” efforts.

Edward Perez, director of product management for societal health at Twitter, said in a tweet Monday: “It’s a time of genuine discomfort & uncertainty. Most of us believe deeply that Twitter is much more than a tech platform; we have a deep responsibility to society. I hope our new owner gets that.”

Another employee who works as a product manager at Twitter tweeted that Musk’s takeover might actually attract new talent. “You’d be surprised how many people have written me today saying if Elon takes over, they’d definitely consider applying for a job.”

However, other employees at the firm seem set to leave. One employee tweeted:  “If you’ve ever wanted to hire a current Twitter employee this is the week to slide into their LinkedIn DMs.” The employee later added “fire me daddy el*n.” By changing the spelling in his or her future boss’s name, the employee hoped to avoid showing up in name searches.

Before the takeover, employees were freaking out over Elon Musk, which pro-censorship CEO Parag Agrawal tried to control.

One employee reportedly suggested that Musk’s sudden acquisition bid felt similar to a hostage situation, a comment which Agrawal dismissed. “I don’t believe we are being held hostage,” Agrawal responded.

Following the meeting, many employees were reportedly upset, saying that they felt as if they were left in the dark about what was going on. Many stated that they felt that a version of Twitter owned by Musk was a “nightmare scenario” due to Musk’s history as a volatile CEO.

One Twitter employee who asked to remain anonymous stated: “The culture here and this platform deserves to be protected, and I hope the Board does the brave thing and refuses the offer. Our democracy is more important than a payout. I hope the Board agrees.” The worker added: “It does feel like there isn’t much we can do as employees.”

Read more at the Wall Street Journal here.

Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or contact via secure email at the address lucasnolan@protonmail.com