Billionaire Elon Musk is now the owner of Twitter and is cleaning house.
The Washington Post reported Musk’s $44 billion deal with the company closed on Thursday.
Three people familiar with the matter told the Post Musk fired several longtime top Twitter executives.
Chief executive Parag Agrawal, chief financial officer Ned Segal and Vijaya Gadde, head of legal policy, trust, and safety, were reportedly fired, as the Post noted.
One person also said Sean Edgett, the company’s general counsel, was pushed out of the company.
According to the Post, the top executives were “hastily escorted” out of Twitter’s headquarters.
Musk tweeted Thursday evening, “The bird is freed.”
the bird is freed
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022
The announcement was met with mixed reactions.
Writer Molly Jong-Fast tweeted, “This bird feels like it’s heading into a glass door or very large window.”
https://twitter.com/MollyJongFast/status/1585951874402111489
Another user wrote, “Hope you will not let any one cage it.”
Hope you will not let any one cage it https://t.co/spVvEkbDzM
— Raheeq Abbasi (@RaheeqAbbasi) October 28, 2022
One declared this will “free speech.”
The Eagle has landed of our times.
— Julian Reichelt (@jreichelt) October 28, 2022
Apollo 11 freed humans' minds. This will free speech. https://t.co/xeddZH8wHr
Check out more reactions below:
Two kinds of people— those pleased with this and those panicked by this. Note carefully who lines up where. https://t.co/UM0aJ5XFia
— Mark Davis (@MarkDavis) October 28, 2022
Can’t wait to see what’s next ! @elonmusk https://t.co/DoIfFYk8Y9
— Marcelo Claure (@marceloclaure) October 28, 2022
https://twitter.com/Knesix/status/1585890611416154116
Thank you for standing up for free speech… https://t.co/v8TUafMBK9
— Greg Musselwhite (@GregMusselwhit3) October 28, 2022
Alt take: Musk gives everyone the bird https://t.co/GOQsn2Kl4Q
— Frank Lesser (@sadmonsters) October 28, 2022
Congratulations @elonmusk ! You are set free little bird #Twitter , now we need to work all together to set free big one https://t.co/giip3wXtss pic.twitter.com/FYPaXb1LxV
— Igor Lopatonok (@lopatonok) October 28, 2022
It might be time to delete the app. https://t.co/jlgPBLFzO8
— Ali Milani (@AliMilaniUK) October 28, 2022
Absolutely!! https://t.co/NvCxYGD16r
— Ricky Kej (@rickykej) October 28, 2022
Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter seems to be annoying all the right people. 😉
— James Melville 🚜 (@JamesMelville) October 28, 2022
If anyone really thinks Elon Musk will allow free speech at his expense you don't know him- like all right wingers he is a hypocrite. He blocked people for mocking him in the past. I can 100% assure you that Musk will quietly ban people from platform for being "mean" to him.
— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) October 28, 2022
Musk is expected to hold a companywide town hall Friday.
He issued a message to advertisers to share why he acquired Twitter in the first place.
“The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence,” Musk said.
Dear Twitter Advertisers pic.twitter.com/GMwHmInPAS
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 27, 2022
He continued, “There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far-right wing and far left-wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society.”
Concluding his message, Musk acknowledged Twitter “cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences!”
Musk continued, “In addition to adhering to the laws of the land, our platform must be warm and welcoming to all, where you can choose your desired experience according to your preferences, just as you can choose, for example, to see movies or play video games ranging from all ages to mature.”