Here’s who Elon Musk could pick to be Twitter’s next CEO
Elon Musk might quickly be looking out for a brand new chief government to run Twitter.
After mounting criticism of his chaotic management at Twitter, together with current choices to droop tech journalists and introduce (after which delete) a controversial coverage banning linking out to rival platforms, Musk posted a ballot asking whether or not he ought to step down as CEO. The ballot ended Monday morning with 57% of voters in favour of Musk handing off the highest job.
Musk has not commented on the outcomes of the ballot. In truth, Musk went an uncharacteristically very long time on Monday with out tweeting in any respect. But even when Musk would not instantly honour his personal ballot, the Tesla CEO will possible solely proceed to face strain from the carmaker’s buyers at hand the reins to another person ahead of later. Tesla inventory is down 34% since his deal to purchase Twitter closed and greater than 63% because the begin of this 12 months, as buyers fear about his many competing priorities. (Musk has additionally for years mused about discovering a successor to run Tesla, with no apparent progress.)
Musk, for his half, stated in a tweet Sunday earlier than the ballot had closed: “No one wants the job who can actually keep Twitter alive. There is no successor.”
If Musk have been to search for a brand new Twitter CEO, he’d possible have many prepared takers. Already, the listing of people that have provided to run the platform consists of former T-Mobile CEO John Legere, MIT synthetic intelligence researcher Lex Fridman and rapper Snoop Dogg (who might maybe run Twitter with the assistance of his good friend and leisure character Martha Stewart). Tom Anderson, a founding father of MySpace, additionally commented on Musk’s ballot about stepping down from CEO, saying, “depends on who you get to run it,” with a thinking-face emoji.
There are additionally some extremely certified candidates on the market — reminiscent of former Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and CTO Mike Schroepfer, who each left their roles on the social media large earlier this 12 months — though convincing them to tackle the chaos machine that’s Twitter could possibly be tough. Jack Dorsey, Twitter founder, CEO of Block and good friend to Musk, has beforehand stated he wouldn’t return to run the social community.
The most evident potential candidates for a brand new Twitter CEO are the Musk lieutenants who’ve been serving to to run the corporate since his takeover. The brief listing possible consists of investor Jason Calacanis, Craft Ventures associate David Sacks and Sriram Krishnan, an Andreessen Horowitz basic associate centered on crypto and Twitter’s former shopper groups lead.
If Musk does choose another person, it would enable him at hand over a few of the day-to-day accountability, and accountability, of working Twitter. But one factor would virtually actually not change: Musk stays very a lot in cost. Musk pushed out the corporate’s former management and board of administrators, and because the firm’s proprietor and sole board director, he’ll in the end have the facility to rent and fireplace whoever he desires on the firm’s helm.
JASON CALACANIS
Calacanis, who emerged within the tech world as a reporter through the dot com increase, is an early-stage investor who has backed well-known corporations reminiscent of Uber and Robinhood. He has additionally launched a number of media properties and hosts two podcasts (one in partnership with Sacks).
Calacanis tweeted on Sunday night time asking, “Who would like the most miserable job in tech AND media?! Who is insane enough to run twitter?!?!” Calacanis additionally ran his personal Twitter ballot asking followers whether or not he or Sacks ought to run the corporate, individually or collectively, or whether or not another person ought to take over. The majority of respondents voted for “other.”
In April, shortly after Musk provided to purchase Twitter, Calacanis instructed the billionaire in a textual content message that “Twitter CEO is my dream job.”
DAVID SACKS
Sacks, who together with Musk was among the many authentic founding group at PayPal, has at the least some expertise managing a social community. He based and ran enterprise communications platform Yammer, earlier than promoting it to Microsoft in 2012 for US$1.2 billion.
Sacks has been notably unflinching in echoing Musks’ speaking factors, whether or not it is justifying a feud with Apple or making an attempt to fire up outrage a few Twitter account that posted publicly accessible details about the whereabouts of Musk’s personal jet. A Twitter person requested Sacks final month what he and Musk disagree about, and Sacks responded with only one factor: “Chess.”
SRIRAM KRISHNAN
On paper, Krishnan could also be the obvious alternative of the group. He has direct expertise engaged on the Twitter product, having beforehand helped handle the groups chargeable for options of the platform reminiscent of search and the house timeline. He additionally beforehand labored on cell advert merchandise for Snap and Facebook.
More lately, he has invested in crypto startups at Andreessen Horowitz, which might give him expertise useful to satisfy Musk’s objective of constructing cost capabilities for Twitter and making it greater than only a social media app.
Krishnan is arguably the least well-known — and subsequently maybe the least controversial — of Musk’s present Twitter management group, which might assist deflect a few of the current destructive consideration the corporate has acquired.
WILD CARDS
Some Twitter customers have speculated about different potential leaders for the social media firm, together with Donald Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, who was noticed watching the World Cup with Musk over the weekend.
Kushner is pleasant with the Saudi Royal Family, one among Twitter’s largest buyers. Prior to working as an advisor in Trump’s White House, Kushner labored for his household’s actual property growth firm, and final 12 months he stated he would depart politics and begin an funding agency. Kushner additionally beforehand owned the weekly New York newspaper, the New York Observer.
