In their new book, ‘Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter,’ authors Kate Conger and Ryan Mac, technology reporters at The New York Times, take readers behind the scenes of Elon Musk’s chaotic takeover of Twitter in 2022. The book details the platform’s subsequent decline and offers a critical examination of Musk’s leadership style.
Conger and Mac argue that Musk’s approach, which he termed ‘founder mode,’ was ultimately unsuccessful due to his lack of experience in managing social media companies and his reliance on a small, often inexperienced, circle of advisors. The book sheds light on the difficulties that can arise when a high-profile individual with limited experience in a specific industry takes control of a major platform.
The authors also delve into a controversial incident involving Musk’s personal life. The book reveals that the name initially chosen for Musk’s second child with musician Grimes was also given to one of Musk’s twins with Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis. This led to public outcry and ultimately resulted in the name being changed. Speaking with Business Insider, Conger explained, “Musk was being advised by a very limited circle of people who had not a lot of depth of knowledge about the things that he was taking on. And he’s always kind of operated in limited circles, but it surprised me just how tiny that world had become by the time he tried to take over Twitter.”
Conger further detailed the incident involving the baby names, saying, “Elon and Grimes had picked out a name for their daughter that they wanted to use. That name ended up being used for one of Shivon Zilis’ twins with Elon. When Grimes found out about it, obviously she was very upset.” This revelation, alongside the details of Musk’s Twitter takeover, offer a deeper understanding of the events that have shaped Twitter’s recent history.
‘Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter’ is set to be released on Tuesday. The book promises to be a captivating read for anyone interested in the intricacies of the tech world, the complexities of leadership, and the impact of high-profile individuals on social media platforms.
