London, Europe Brief News- The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, has officially taken control over Twitter in $44bn (£38.1bn) deal.
He tweeted “the bird is freed”, in an apparent reference to the deal closing.
A number of top executives, including the boss, Parag Agrawal, have reportedly been fired. This appears to be one of his first decisions at the helm of the social media giant.
It brings to a close a saga that saw Twitter go to court to hold the multi-billionaire to the terms of a takeover deal.
Twitter has not yet confirmed the takeover. But an early investor in the company affirmed that the deal had been completed.
The Tesla CEO’s purchase caps a six-month saga that saw Twitter initially resist Musk’s purchase offer and then sue the billionaire after he signalled he would nix the deal over concerns about spam accounts and whistleblower claims about lax cybersecurity practices.
Elon Musk ‘s interest in the platform has become a lightning rod for the debate around free speech. Critics have expressed concerns that Musk’s reign could mean open slather for hate speech and misinformation. However, many conservatives have heralded the takeover as a corrective to Big Tech censorship of politically incorrect views.
Musk, who describes himself as a “free speech absolutist”, has criticised Twitter’s moderation policies and objected to censorship that goes beyond the requirements of the law. In May, Musk said he would reinstate former US President Donald Trump’s Twitter account, which was removed for allegedly inciting violence.
Musk has also expressed discomfort with the platform’s reliance on advertising. He will also oversee significant job cuts at the company. He has reportedly denied a Washington Post report suggesting he plans to slash 75 percent of the workforce.
