Elon Musk Decides Not to Join Twitter Board, CEO Parag Agrawal Reveals

Elon Musk continues to be the largest shareholder of Twitter, Agrawal said.

Advertisement
By Reuters | Updated: 11 April 2022 12:40 IST
Highlights
  • Elon Musk's appointment to the board was to become effective on Saturday
  • News of Musk taking a board seat had some Twitter employees panicking
  • Twitter shares soared 27 percent on April 4

Musk ran a Twitter poll asking users if they believed Twitter adheres to the principle of free speech

Twitter's biggest shareholder, Elon Musk, has decided not to join its board, Chief Executive Parag Agrawal said late on Sunday.

Musk, who calls himself a free-speech absolutist and has been critical of Twitter, disclosed a 9.1 percent stake on April 4 and said he plans to bring about significant improvements at the social media platform.

Advertisement

His appointment to the board was to become effective on Saturday and would have prevented him from being a beneficial owner of more than 14.9 percent of common stock.

But "Elon shared that same morning that he will no longer be joining the board", Agrawal said in a note on Twitter.

Advertisement

"I believe this is for the best. We have and will always value input from our shareholders whether they are on our Board or not. Elon is our biggest shareholder and we will remain open to his input," Agrawal said.

Tesla did not immediately respond to an email sent to the company seeking a comment from Musk.

Advertisement

News of Musk taking a board seat had some Twitter employees panicking over the future of the social media firm's ability to moderate content, company insiders told Reuters.

Before taking a stake, Musk ran a Twitter poll asking users if they believed Twitter adheres to the principle of free speech.

Advertisement

A day after becoming the largest shareholder, he launched another poll asking users if they want an edit button, a long-awaited feature on which the social media platform has been working.

The Tesla boss also asked users in a poll if Twitter's headquarters should be converted into a homeless shelter, a plan backed by Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos.

On Saturday, he suggested changes to Twitter Blue premium subscription service, including slashing its price, banning advertising, and giving an option to pay in the cryptocurrency dogecoin.

Twitter shares, which soared 27 percent on April 4 after Musk disclosed his stake, has lost 7.5 percent since then to Friday's close.

"There will be distractions ahead, but our goals and priorities remain unchanged," Agrawal said in his Sunday note. "Let's tune out the noise, and stay focused on the work and what we're building."


Why are they still making more Harry Potter? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
 

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Airtel Unlimited 5G Data Subscribers Reportedly Cannot Share 5G Data via Mobile Hotspot
  2. OnePlus Exits US, Europe, Continues Operations in India: 5 Things to Know
  3. Oppo K15 Launch Date Confirmed; Key Specifications Revealed Ahead of Debut
  1. Redmi Note 17 Pro Global Variant Reportedly Appears on NBD Database Alongside Poco Model
  2. Google Pixel 11a Codename Reportedly Spotted in Phone App
  3. Huawei Mate XT 2 Leaked Patent Reveals New Tri-Fold Design and Folding Mechanism
  4. Airtel Unlimited 5G Data Subscribers Reportedly Cannot Share 5G Data via Mobile Hotspot: Here's What We Know So Far
  5. Lenovo Legion C700 Teased as a Cloud Gaming Handheld Ahead of August Launch
  6. Marvel's Wolverine Gets New Trailer That Will Play Ahead of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey in Select Theatres
  7. Airtel Quietly Removes Rs. 549 Individual Postpaid Plan in India; Rs. 699 Plan Becomes Next Upgrade
  8. Poco M8 Power, Poco X8 India Launch Timeline Tipped; Could Arrive as Rebranded Redmi Note 17 Series
  9. Samsung Galaxy S25 Series Could Get Galaxy S26’s Horizontal Lock Camera Feature With One UI 9 Update
  10. Asus Pad India Launch Date Announced as Company Reveals Key Specifications
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.