Which tech CEO was the youngest when they founded their first business? Was it … A.) Evan Spiegel (Snapchat), B.) Jack Dorsey (Twitter), C.) Whitney Wolfe Herd (Bumble) or D.) Bill Gates (Microsoft)?
The wacky world of Elon Musk
Ever wanted to get inside the brain of one of today’s most infamous names in tech? The new book “Elon Musk” contains over 600 pages of juicy details about Musk’s life, from childhood through the wild twists and turns of the X (formerly Twitter) takeover.
Author Walter Isaacson spent two years shadowing Musk as he traveled worldwide. Sure, you can pick up a copy — or just read on for some of the most interesting tidbits. Think of this as the Sparknotes.
Let that sink in
“Elon Musk” gives us a backstage pass to what really happened inside the Twitter drama. One surprising fact: Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey almost walked away from investing in the platform’s new version.
Dorsey had nothing but glowing praise for the tech mogul when news of Musk’s takeover went public. But things quickly took a turn. Remember when he walked into Twitter headquarters with an actual bathroom sink?
Ultimately, Dorsey was convinced to keep his stake in the company, but it was a close call. Musk lucked out, too. The decision saved him around a billion bucks.
The Twitter blues
Musk knew the Twitter Blue rollout was going to be a dumpster fire. He was presented with a long list of recommendations from Twitter’s trust and safety team that would help soften the changes — but went ahead guns blazing.
Musk delayed the launch for two days and warned executives that it would be a disaster. He said it would be “World War III over the blue check marks.” He wasn’t totally wrong.
Now, you play nice
It’s no secret Musk has a history of ruffling feathers. Last year, he was accused of having an affair with the wife of Google’s co-founder, Sergey Brin. Although both parties denied the accusations, Brin and his wife divorced.
Soon after news of the affair broke, Musk weaseled his way into a now-famous selfie with Brin. Unfortunately for Brin, his attempts to avoid the picture were futile.
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Check out these headlines reacting to Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter
After weeks of speculation and corporate wrangling, Twitter’s board approved Elon Musk’s $44 billion purchase. It’s big news for the tech industry and social media platforms, but not everybody is thrilled.
Many media outlets are concerned about what it could mean for Twitter in the future.
Would you pay to use Twitter? You might have to
Twitter occupies a strange place in the constellation of social media sites. On one hand, it’s not even the biggest platform you can use — that dubious honor goes to Facebook. On the other, it’s home to some of the most important public figures on the planet, such as industry leaders, celebrities and even the President of the United States himself.