Elon Musk has an unprecedented propensity to make bad situations worse but this time, he has truly outdone himself.
Twitter has seen a huge drop in advertising revenue since Musk’s takeover and his latest actions have made it even less likely that any serious business would want to return.
The South African father of eight picked a fight with Icelander Halli Thorleifsson after the latter tweeted to ask Musk whether he still worked at Twitter.
Dear @elonmusk 👋
9 days ago the access to my work computer was cut, along with about 200 other Twitter employees.
However your head of HR is not able to confirm if I am an employee or not. You’ve not answered my emails.
Maybe if enough people retweet you’ll answer me here?
— Halli (@iamharaldur) March 6, 2023
Musk condescendingly asked what he had been doing at Twitter and, when Thorleifsson replied saying that he had saved the company US$500,000 on a SaaS contract and led all active design projects, Musk sent him back two laughing emojis.
🤣🤣
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 7, 2023
Musk decided to double down.
The reality is that this guy (who is independently wealthy) did no actual work, claimed as his excuse that he had a disability that prevented him from typing, yet was simultaneously tweeting up a storm.
Can’t say I have a lot of respect for that.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 7, 2023
Thorleifsson’s muscular dystrophy has left him wheelchair-bound but he explained that he could still type with one finger. He also clarified that he was not independently wealthy but had sold his company to Twitter as his condition worsened.
We worked for more or less every big tech company.
We grew fast and made money. I think that’s what you are referring to when you say independently wealthy?
That I independently made my money, as opposed to say, inherited an emerald mine.
— Halli (@iamharaldur) March 7, 2023
Thorleifsson has won multiple Icelandic person of the year awards for his charity work building wheelchair ramps to make places more accessible. Thorleiffson also said that Twitter owes him money.
Then, sensing that he might have over-egged it, Musk backed down, had a video call with Thorleiffson and apparently offered him a chance to stay at Twitter. We do not know whether Thorleiffson has taken him up on the offer yet.
But the entertainment did not end there. Musk then started to have arguments with other Twitter users over advertising on the platform.
So you’re saying you don’t want a bra? 🤣
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 8, 2023
This advertising, of course, is not particularly relevant for the user and will likely not create a return on investment for Laxa Store. Then, demonstrating that he does not really have a handle on how Twitter advertising works, Musk tweeted this.
May they do this all day! Drives advertising revenue for Twitter lol.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 8, 2023
Then, to top it all off, he tweeted a 2018-era Spongebob meme.
🤬 😂 pic.twitter.com/zPXgj1cN5v
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 8, 2023
The irony is that he is still considering getting a new CEO for Twitter to run the day-to-day operations of the site.
