A particularly interesting new document has emerged in the discovery leading up to the trial of Elon Musk v. Twitter, due in a few weeks. Ha: A compilation of texts between Musk and key Twitter figures, such as founder Jack Dorsey, Chairman Brett Taylor, current CEO Parag Agrawal, and other informal conversations with investor Jason Calacanis and even Joe Rogan.
There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s move on to it.
“I don’t think I should be anyone’s boss”
Elon Musk doesn’t want to be president. This is a huge find for someone who is the CEO of more than a few companies.
In an early April conversation with Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal – before their relationship So strained that stool emojis Musk admitted that he does not like to be a leader.
“Honestly, I hate doing management stuff. I don’t think I should be anyone’s boss. But I love helping with technical/product design problems,” Musk told Agrawal.
Musk and Agrawal’s relationship seemed promising at first.
“He treated me like an engineer instead of a CEO,” Agrawal told Musk.
During their conversations, the founder and former CEO of Twitter routinely praises Agrawal’s engineering ability. But on April 26, Dorsey, Musk and Agrawal participated in a Google Hangout together to discuss the acquisition. Judging by the texts, things did not go well.
“At least it became clear that you couldn’t work together,” Dorsey said.
Calculate your yes you don’t need to pay Doge to tweet
Elon Musk has some controversial ideas on Twitter, like Verify all human users And make the algorithm open source (this was Dorsey’s idea first). But perhaps his worst idea so far is to combat spam by getting people to pay Dogecoin money to tweet.
“I have an idea for a blockchain social media system that does push and SMS/link like Twitter. You have to pay a small amount to register your message on the chain, which will cut out the vast majority of spam and bots. There is no throat to stifle it, so freedom of expression is guaranteed” .
A few days later, on April 13, Musk’s idea took a larger shape.
“My Plan B is a version of Twitter built on the blockchain, where ‘tweets’ are included in a comment transaction,” he told Steve Davis, president of The Boring Company. “So you have to pay maybe 0.1 Doge per comment or repost for that comment.”
Fortunately, Musk later concluded that blockchain-based Twitter would not be possible for the time being.
Jack Dorsey is known as “Jack Jack” in Elon’s Phone
We already knew Dorsey was on the Musk Takeover Train. But in these texts, the two entrepreneurs really seem to respect each other. So much so that Dorsey even got his pet name “Jack Jack” in Elon’s phone. Attractive!
Early in March, Dorsey and Musk were debating about the future of Twitter.
A new platform is needed. It can’t be a company. Dorsey said. When Musk asked what Twitter should look like, Jack Jack replied, “I think it should be an open source protocol, funded by some sort of organization that doesn’t own the protocol, just developing it. A bit like Signal did.” It can’t have an advertising model.”
in Public comment in AprilDorsey said, “Elon is the only solution” he trusts. But he was secretly supportive of Musk.
“And I appreciate you. This is the right and only way. I will continue to do whatever it takes to make it work,” Jack told Musk.
Gayle King: Twitter purchase is a “gangster move”
Elon Musk does not employ communications teams and generally does not enjoy talking to reporters. But, unfortunately, he’s talking to Gayle King, the co-host of CBS Morning Show.
“Elon! You’re buying Twitter or offering to buy Twitter Wow!” the news anchor told Musk. “Now don’t you think we should sit face to face together, as the children of today say” the gang movement. “
We are sure that children do not say this. But it’s worth noting that Gail King is one of the very few women that Musk has spoken to over hundreds of texts.
Musk then told Gail King that Oprah should join Twitter’s board of directors.
“Oprah might be interested in joining Twitter’s board of directors if my bid is successful. Wisdom about humanity and knowing what’s right is more important than so-called “board governance” skills, which in my experience mean pretty much nothing,” Musk said.
To be honest, we were watching Oprah’s interview with Elon Musk.
Joe Lonsdale wanted to connect Musk and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
Also featured was Joe Lonsdale, who co-founded Palantir and now runs venture firm 8VC. Lonsdale made remarks recently blaming black culture for racial disparities in funding and describing men who take paternity leave as “losers,” for context.
“I would love for your Twitter algorithms to be open source,” Lonsdale tweeted in a text message in late March. “Our public squares do not need superficial arbitrary censorship.”
Musk replied, “Not at all. What we have now is hidden corruption!”
Lonsdale retreated again by mid-April. “Haha even Governor DeSantis just called me now with ideas on how to help you and get angry at that council and say the public is rooting for you,” wrote Lonsdale. “Let me know if you or someone on your side wants to chat with him.” (Musk replied with a succinct and brutal phrase, “Haha-ha-ha-a-huh.”)
Jason Calacanis volunteered to be the CEO of Twitter
Angel investor Jason Calacanis couldn’t help but slip into Musk’s texts in April when news of Twitter’s buy-out bid was in the wild, joking that Musk should raise his bid to $54.21 – the “perfect counter”.
“You can easily clean up bots and spam and make the service workable for many users — removing bots and spam is a lot less complicated than what Tesla’s self-driving team does,” Calacanis wrote. And why should blue ticks be restricted to the elite, the press, and celebrities? How is this a democracy? “
Calacanis also pounced the next day to offer more unsolicited advice, including his suggestion to cut Twitter’s workforce by more than half to make his revenue account more convenient. “Day zero,” Calacanis wrote. “Boys’ blade sharpening. Two days a week office requirements = 20% voluntary departure.”
He also suggested that Twitter recruit MrBeast to create original video content as well as indulge in more video creator monetization features – a “huge unlock” – giving video creators 100% of ad revenue up to the first million dollars and then splitting the revenue.
Both Musk and Calacanis agreed that Twitter Blue is a “crazy piece of crap” and its features should be removed and completely rethought. “These Small Businesses Spent a Year on Twitter Blue to Give People Exactly… Nothing They Want!” Calacanis read.
When Musk asked if he would like to be a strategic advisor if the deal goes through, Calacanis swore the text equivalent of an oath to the future Twitter owner: “Board member, advisor, whatever…you have my sword,” Calacanis wrote. “Put me in the game coach! The Twitter CEO is my dream job.”
His enthusiasm seemed to make him enter the hot water with the musk soon after.
“What Happens to You Marketing SPV for Randos? Musk wrote in May.” Morgan Stanley and Jared [Birchall, Musk’s wealth manager/right-hand man] I think you are using our friendship in a way that is not good.”
Calacanis defended himself by describing how the Musk/Twitter deal “captures the world’s imagination in an unimaginable way,” which is why he has taken on the field of investment interest.
“You know I ride or die brother – I’d jump on someone [sic] Calacanes said, to get the money.
ignite joe rogan
“I really hope you get on Twitter,” Joe Rogan wrote in a text message on March 23. (Musk answered with 100 emojis.)
Rogan also asked if Musk would “liberate Twitter from happy censorship.”
“I will give advice, which they may or may not choose to follow,” Musk said.
Mark Merrill, President of Riot Games, thinks Elon is Batman
We quote directly without comment:
“You’re the hero Gotham needs – hell yeah!”
“Devoted student. Bacon advocate. Beer scholar. Troublemaker. Falls down a lot. Typical coffee enthusiast.”