Musk tweeted his decision Tuesday evening in response to an unscientific and unrepresentative ballot he launched two days in the past, which requested customers whether or not he ought to step down as head of the corporate. More than 10 million folks, or 57.5 p.c of respondents, voted that he ought to go away the place.
Musk had beforehand stated he would abide by the outcomes of the casual ballot, which he launched after even a few of his personal allies criticized a few of Twitter’s current insurance policies. The ballot was one in a string of public blows to his picture since he took on the position. This month, he was booed by the group when he went onstage at comic Dave Chappelle’s San Francisco present.
The entrepreneur, who additionally leads Tesla and SpaceX, took management of the social media firm in October in a $44 billion deal. Musk beforehand indicated he didn’t intend to stay in Twitter’s high spot long run.
Musk didn’t immediately reply to the outcomes of the ballot for greater than a day after it closed, however he did react to a number of tweets that advised the ballot may have been infiltrated by bots or that it wasn’t a consultant pattern of what folks wished.
His tepid response to the ballot Tuesday evening leaves the door open to him holding on to the highest spot for an undetermined period of time.
“Accurate assessment!” Musk responded to a tweet that requested why “offering to take over that thankless job” would make folks upset.
Some Tesla traders had urged Musk to step apart from the social media firm to focus his energies on the electric-car firm, which has been struggling on the inventory market. Shares of Tesla fell greater than 8 p.c Tuesday throughout buying and selling.
Musk’s time main Twitter has been marked by upheaval and sometimes chaos. The billionaire laid off hundreds of staff, disbanded an out of doors group that oversaw on-line security and reinstated outstanding suspended accounts, together with the one belonging to former president Donald Trump.
Musk’s strikes have been controversial with many Twitter customers and advertisers, risking the corporate’s main income. But others had cheered his free-speech agenda and urged him to remain on as chief govt.
Musk has used Twitter polls to make vital selections a number of instances since he took over the corporate, together with on whether or not he ought to reinstate Trump. He additionally requested customers whether or not the corporate ought to provide “general amnesty” to suspended accounts, lots of which then started reappearing on the positioning.
Musk launched one other ballot Tuesday evening, this time asking customers whether or not Congress ought to approve a $1.7 trillion deal to fund the federal government.
Cat Zakrzewski contributed to this report.