"Hardcore ultimatum" on Twitter: Elon Musk gets rid of hundreds of employees in one fell swoop

Created: 11/18/2022, 5:49 p.m

By: Patrick Freiwah

Extreme work zeal or dismissal?

Hundreds of Twitter employees took the latter route when asked this question.

The mood in the EU Parliament is alarmed.

San Francisco/Munich – Ever since Elon Musk took over the social media platform Twitter, the messenger service has been going through the biggest upheaval of its existence to date.

Due to the business takeover by the South African-born entrepreneur, many people have fears that the face of the platform will not change for the better.

It's about the definition of freedom of expression and how Twitter will deal with supposedly ideological perspectives in the future.

The developments of the past few weeks show that the upheavals are also shaking up the work structure within the US group.

After the "hardcore" ultimatum of the new Twitter boss, the exodus of numerous employees has continued - and that's exactly what Elon Musk could have done.

After all, the new owner is also concerned with saving costs.

Elon Musk: Ultimatum prompts hundreds of Twitter employees to leave

According to US media, several hundred employees have decided to leave the company after being asked internally to show more extreme zeal for work - or to be fired.

"I may be extraordinary, but damn I'm just not hardcore," a Twitter employee posted, for example.

She was referring to Musk's announcement that the company had to be "extremely hardcore" to compete.

Multi-billionaire Elon Musk triggered a digital earthquake with the takeover of the Twitter network.

© IMAGO/STR

Hours earlier, Elon Musk had said in a message to Twitter employees that employees should prepare for "long, high-intensity work days."

"Only exceptional performance" would be rated as sufficient, and a deadline has been set for the addressees: The corresponding work commitment should be submitted online by Thursday afternoon (California local time).

Anyone who does not do this will be dismissed from the company with a severance payment of three months' salary.

The Tesla and SpaceX boss also recently caused a stir politically - and joked with a soldier from the Wehrmacht about the developments in progress.

Twitter boss Musk posts about Twitter's funeral - and receives criticism from the EU Parliament

After the ultimatum, Musk finally dropped a skull and crossbones flag on Twitter - and posted a meaningful picture of a man with a blue Twitter logo sitting in front of his head at a grave whose headstone also has a Twitter logo - as if it were itself deal with your own funeral.

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Musk took over Twitter at the end of October for the equivalent of around 43 billion euros and immediately fired the management floor.

A week later, about half of the 7,500 employees also had to believe it.

Meanwhile, Musk is receiving criticism from Vera Jourouva, Vice President of the European Commission.

President Ursula von der Leyen's "right hand" warns of a "digital wild west" and has already threatened the polarizing multi-billionaire with draconian penalties.

The Czech criticized ZDF that Musk had "fired very experienced employees who, over the years of consultation, have understood what we want in Europe".

She added: "We want social media that serves the people and does not spread harmful content."