Elon Musk will join Twitter’s board of directors, it was announced Tuesday, elevating him to the company’s leadership just a day after it was revealed that he had bought up more than 9 percent of its stock.
Twitter CEO and board member Parag Agrawal said Tuesday that the company’s board had conversations with Musk “in recent weeks.”
“He’s both a passionate believer and intense critic of the service which is exactly what we need on @Twitter, and in the boardroom, to make us stronger in the long-term. Welcome Elon!” Agrawal added.
Musk joins a board that includes Agrawal and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, who stepped down as CEO in November.
Musk’s board seat will give him a say in the company’s broader direction, something that he has routinely discussed on his Twitter account, where has decried the company’s moderation efforts. Musk tweeted last month that Twitter was a threat to democracy.
“Given that Twitter serves as the de facto public town square, failing to adhere to free speech principles fundamentally undermines democracy,” he tweeted in March.
It’s unclear exactly what changes Musk might push for, but on Monday night he tweeted a poll asking if users wanted an edit button, an idea that has previously been knocked down by Twitter leadership.
Agrawal seemed to imply that the results of the poll could be important.
The poll received almost 3 million votes, with 76 percent voting “yes.”
Musk’s addition to the board was met with quick support from some conservatives who have argued that Twitter unfairly censors them and have called for former President Donald Trump to be unbanned from the platform.
Twitter’s stock price jumped about 6 percent in premarket trading, and is up almost 30 percent since Musk’s disclosure of his Twitter holdings.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
