{"id":1125261,"date":"2022-06-17T10:29:27","date_gmt":"2022-06-17T10:29:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/06\/17\/elon-musk-hints-at-potential-twitter-layoffs\/"},"modified":"2022-06-17T10:29:27","modified_gmt":"2022-06-17T10:29:27","slug":"elon-musk-hints-at-potential-twitter-layoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/06\/17\/elon-musk-hints-at-potential-twitter-layoffs\/","title":{"rendered":"Elon Musk hints at potential Twitter layoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Elon Musk Twitter deal \/ Credit: REUTERS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

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Multi-billionaire Elon Musk has in a meeting with Twitter employees hinted at potential job cuts if his $44bn (\u00a335.8bn) takeover bid for the social media company is successful.<\/p>\n

He also addressed topics like remote working, freedom of speech and potential extra-terrestrial life.<\/p>\n

Mr Musk was talking to staff for the first time since launching his bid for the firm in April.<\/p>\n

He has said he may quit the deal if he is not given data about fake accounts.<\/p>\n

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On a wide-ranging video call with Twitter employees on Thursday, Mr Musk said layoffs at Twitter would depend on the company\u2019s financial situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe company does need to get healthy. Right now the costs exceed the revenue,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

However he added: \u201cAnyone who\u2019s\u2026 a significant contributor should have nothing to worry about\u201d.<\/p>\n

He also stated his preference for working from the office unless \u201csomebody is exceptional\u201d.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, he did not provide an update on takeover discussions and Twitter employees took to an internal communications channel to express their disappointment about his views on the business and employee compensation.<\/p>\n

Mr Musk, who is the boss of electric vehicle maker Tesla and rocket company SpaceX, also discussed the possibility of life beyond earth although he said he has not seen \u201cactual evidence for aliens\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan we travel to other star systems and see if there are alien civilisations?\u201d he asked, adding that the platform could help \u201ccivilisation and consciousness\u201d.<\/p>\n

Separately, a group of employees at SpaceX \u2013 where Mr Musk is chief executive \u2013 called Mr Musk a \u201cfrequent source of distraction and embarrassment\u201d in an internal letter to the company\u2019s executives on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, he was also sued for $258bn (\u00a3209bn) later in the day by a investor in the Dogecoin cryptocurrency, who accused him of running a pyramid scheme to drive up its price.<\/p>\n

The complaint filed in New York alleges that Mr Musk \u201cused his pedestal as world\u2019s richest man to operate and manipulate the Dogecoin Pyramid Scheme for profit, exposure and amusement\u201d.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, Mr Musk threatened to walk away from the takeover bid and accused Twitter of \u201cthwarting\u201d his requests to learn more about its user base.<\/p>\n

In a letter filed with regulators, he said he was entitled to do his own measurement of spam accounts.<\/p>\n

The letter formalised a dispute that had simmered for weeks after he\u00a0declared the deal was \u201con hold\u201d\u00a0pending further information.<\/p>\n

Shares in the company stood at $37.36 each at the end of New York trading on Thursday, well below Mr Musk\u2019s offer price of $54.20.<\/p>\n

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