Twitter Employees Leave Company After Musk’s “Hardcore” Ultimatum

Drama at Twitter headquarters is playing out in a very public manner. In the weeks since Elon Musk purchased the social media network, after a lengthy and dramatic acquisition process, the SpaceX and Tesla CEO has initiated a number of changes both to the platform and the company culture. Most recently, he issued an ultimatum to employees, telling them to commit to “working long hours at high intensity” or take a three-month severance package.

Key Quotes: A tech reporter for Fortune (Center Bias) tweeted, “looks like roughly 75% of the remaining 3,700ish Twitter employees have not opted to stay after the ‘hardcore’ email.” The actual number of employees who have quit is varying across outlets; the New York Times reports “1,200,” Reuters and The Verge (Lean Left Bias) both estimate “hundreds.” Elon Musk addressed staff resignation in a tweet, stating, “the best people are staying, so I’m not super worried.”

For Context: Musk’s purchase of Twitter was finalized in late October. The functionality of Twitter going forward with a minimized staff is in question, especially approaching the World Cup, which the Associated Press (Lean Left Bias) quoted an anonymous Twitter employee as being the “biggest event for Twitter.”

How the Media Covered It: The ongoing saga is dominating the trending section of Twitter and is being covered across the spectrum, especially in tech and business outlets. The Daily Wire called the employee exodus a “purge.” Reuters labeled twitter a “beleaguered social media company.”