The Washington Post first reported an internal email sent on Thursday by Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal informing them of an AMA (ask me anything) forum for Twitter’s newest board member Elon Musk.
Agrawal wrote in an email addressing Musk’s arrival to Twitter’s board of directors, “We say that Twitter is what’s happening and what people are talking about right now. Often, we [at] Twitter are what’s happening and what people are talking about. That has certainly been the case this week.” He added, “Following our board announcement, many of you have had different types of questions about Elon Musk, and I want to welcome you to ask those questions to him.”
Open forums between CEOs and employees are a common occurrence in Silicon Valley, but it is highly unusual for it to be hosted by a board member.
It is unknown what degree of influence Musk will wield at Twitter, but there are signs that Musk, as the company’s largest investor and a member of the board, could be a guiding force in the company’s future.
Musk initially filed as a Schedule 13G passive investor, but reversed course and filed as a Schedule 13D active investor. A passive investor is a shareholder with no intention to exert any form of control over a company. Musk’s refiling as an active investor indicates that he will, to a certain degree, look to shape the future of Twitter.
The Tesla CEO has been an active proponent of Twitter loosening its moderation of content to allow for more free speech on the platform. Twitter has tried to improve its ability to combat hate speech and misinformation on the platform, and it is unclear if those initiatives are viewed by Musk as curtailing free speech or a necessary part of maintaining the platform.
There are also concerns that Musk’s managerial tendencies that have been observed at Tesla could spill over to Twitter as well.
A former Tesla employee said they “witnessed the awful changes in company culture that followed” Musk taking over as CEO. They added, “I’m extremely unnerved right now, because I’ve seen what he can do firsthand.”
Musk’s extreme wealth, he’s listed by Forbes as the wealthiest person on Earth, and prior use of Twitter may also raise concerns for some of the company’s employees.
Over the years, Musk has used his massive Twitter following of 81 million to engage with the public, air grievances, and further his aims, sometimes with serious consequences.
In August of 2018, he Tweeted that he could take Tesla private for $420 a share. The tweet saw Tesla’s stock jump over 6%, which prompted an SEC investigation that alleged that the price per share was misleading and the prospects of securing financing for the “transaction was uncertain and subject to numerous contingencies.”
Musk has also had well-documented spats with politicians, such as Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.
Musk, as CEO, has guided Tesla and SpaceX to become leaders in their fields. Tesla is the most valuable automobile manufacturer in the world, even with minimal production, and SpaceX is a leader in the private sector space race.