Twitter’s Elon Musk Confirms Mass Lay Offs in Employee Email

On Wednesday, reports began to surface that Elon Musk planned to cut Twitter’s staff by nearly 50%. While Twitter did not reply to requests for comment from multiple outlets, The Hollywood Reporter has obtained an email sent to Twitter employees today indicating that lay offs will take place on Friday, November 4th. The email was sent to employees unsigned, but indicated that the lay offs are “unfortunately necessary to ensure the company’s success moving forward.” Employees will apparently be notified of their status with the company through an email sent to their personal account if they have been terminated, or to their company account if they will remain.

News of the lay-offs is sure to come as a significant disappointment to employees, and does not bode well for the future of Twitter. Musk took ownership of the company last week, and has already signaled major changes will be made in how Twitter is run, both for employees and for users. Musk spent $44 billion purchasing the company, and has come across desperate to recoup part of his investment. In addition to the lay offs, the billionaire revealed a controversial plan to charge users for a verification checkmark on their account. While Musk initially considered a $20/month fee, that number has since dropped to $8.

Musk has had public fights with prominent Twitter users over the changes, debating them with Stephen King and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Both have raised important points about Twitter’s verified users, and what they bring to the platform. While Musk sees checkmarks as a status symbol, their point has always been to verify celebrities, journalists, and public figures, in order to prevent impersonators. Many verified users have also noted that their presence is what draws advertisers and users to the platform, and if they leave, it will lead to less money for the platform.

It remains to be seen what will happen with Twitter after all is said and done, but Musk has clearly wasted no time implementing his vision for its future.

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