Elon Musk attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala in New York,May 2022.Credit:AP
About 57.5 per cent votes were for “Yes”,while 42.5 per cent were against the idea of Musk stepping down as the head of Twitter,according to the poll the billionaire launched on Sunday evening. Over 17.5 million people voted.
“By Musk’s - and some analysts’ assertions – drastic measures are needed if Twitter’s business model is to remain viable. There’s an argument that without Musk at the helm,it’s going to be difficult to find someone with enough gusto to change the course of Twitter’s ship,” said Sophie Lund-Yates,analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.
The poll results capped a whirlwind week that included changes to Twitter’s privacy policyand the suspension - and reinstatement - of journalists’ accounts that drew condemnation from news organisations,advocacy groups and officials across Europe.
Then on Sunday,Twitter banned accounts thatpromoted rival social media platforms such as Facebook in a now-deleted tweet,drawing questions even from long-time Musk supporters,including Twitter founder Jack Dorsey.
Box CEO Aaron Levie called the policy “just sad”.
Since taking over in October,Musk swiftly fired top management and thousands of employees,seesawed on how much to charge for the social media firm’s subscription service Twitter Blue,and reinstated accounts banned under the previous management,including that of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
On Sunday,Musk said he would put all Twitter policy changes to vote via public polls,provoking further questions on his management style and keen involvement in the social media firm,which has left some investors in Tesla anxious that he is distracted at a critical time for the electric automaker.