Elon Musk became the owner and CEO of Twitter on October 27, 2022, after acquiring the social media company for $44 billion. Before the deal was sealed, 19,000 tweets showed his long time complications with Twitter.
Below is a timeline of events and the changes implemented under Musk’s leadership.
December 20, 2022
Musk announces he will step down as CEO once he finds a replacement
December 14, 2022
Musk suspends the Twitter account that tracked his private jet and introduces a new policy prohibiting posting someone’s real-time location details. Newsletter platform Revue shut down.
December 12, 2022
Twitter relaunches Blue Verified.
December 9, 2022
Musk announces plans to free up inactive accounts
December 8, 2022
Musk promotes the release of part two of the “Twitter Files.”
December 2, 2022
Musk promotes the release of the “Twitter Files.”
November 25, 2022
Musk mentions creating his own phone if Apple and Google remove Twitter from their app stores.
November 24, 2022
Musk announces ‘amnesty’ for suspended Twitter accounts begins next week.
November 19, 2022
November 18, 2022
The deadline for Twitter employees to accept Musk’s ultimatum passes; many decide to leave.
Musk publishes a poll on Twitter asking whether he should reinstate the account of Donald Trump.
November 17, 2022
A majority of Twitter employees reportedly reject Musk’s ultimatum, opting to leave the company.
November 16, 2022
Musk issues an ultimatum to Twitter staff, asking them to commit to “hardcore” working conditions with longer hours and no remote work or get leave the company with three months severence pay.
November 15, 2022
Musk fires employees for criticizing him in a private Slack channel.
November 14, 2022
Musk turns off “bloatware” services which he claims isn’t necessary for the site to work
November 12, 2022
Under Musk’s leadership, Twitter fires an estimated 80% of contract employees without no advance notice.
November 11, 2022
Musk pauses Twitter Blue subscriptions due to fake accounts impersonating brands and public figures.
November 10, 2022
Musk warns about a dire money situation and believes Twitter could go bankrupt.
November 9, 2022
Twitter launches a new verification system, with all users receiving a blue checkmark by purchasing Twitter Blue.
November 4, 2022
Musk lays off half of Twitter employees to cut costs
November 1, 2022
After facing criticism from Stephen King after Musk confirms plans to charge $20/month for verification, Musk has a counteroffer.
October 30, 2022
October 27, 2022
Musk and Twitter close the deal, making Musk the new owner. Musk immediately fires CEO and top executives.
October 26, 2022
Musk tweets a video of him carrying a kitchen sink into Twitter headquarters - referring to the “let that sink in” internet meme as he changes his Twitter bio to “Chief Twit”
October 20, 2022
Musk told investors he plans to cut nearly 75% of Twitter’s staff.
October 4, 2022
Musk proposes to seal the $44 billion ($54.20 per share) deal to own Twitter on the condition that Twitter drops its lawsuit.
August 6, 2022
Musk challenges former Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal to a ‘public debate’ about the Twitter bot percentage
July 12, 2022
Unable to come to an agreement, Twitter formally launches a lawsuit against Musk after he tried to back out of the acquisition.
July 8, 2022
Musk announces his plan to terminate the Twitter acquisition, claiming that Twitter still refuses to comply with requests for data on spam accounts.
Twitter’s chairman, Bret Taylor, says that the board plans legal action to enforce the agreement.
June 8, 2022
Twitter’s board complies with Musk’s demands to access data stream of tweets.
This was first reported by The Washington Post.
June 6, 2022
Musk says Twitter is refusing to share data on spam accounts and threatens to terminate his agreement.
May 13, 2022
Musk puts the buyout deal on hold after he learned that 5% of Twitter’s users are spam accounts.
April 25, 2022
A filing with the United States Security and Exchange Commission accepts Musk’s buyout deal
April 14, 2022
Musk offers to buy Twitter for $43 billion, or $54.20 per share, to transform it as “private”
April 10, 2022
Twitter’s chief executive, Parag Agrawal, said on Monday morning that Musk had declined the offer to join Twitter’s Board of Directors
April 4, 2022
A securities filing reveals Musk is Twitter’s largest shareholder, with a 9% stake in the company.
Musk is invited to join Twitter’s board of directors.
March 25, 2022
Musk begins openly criticizing Twitter with the principle of free speech - an “essential to a functioning democracy.”
