This morning, Elon Musk announced he was cutting around 8% of his staff that includes some of the most high-profile Twitter teams at Tesla and SpaceX. Even though this announcement might come as a shock to some, it's not exactly a surprise considering the content of Musk's tweets lately.
The list included human rights, accessibility, AI ethics and curation. On one hand, this is a positive move for many people who work in these areas or have been advocating for change - but on the other hand it definitely can't help low morale and cause tension among Tesla employees.
It's sad to see teams that advocate for important causes lose their jobs - but at the same time, as someone who worked in sales and marketing, I've seen how it can be to work under a boss who takes that kind of action.
Focus is key in any company - and Musk has none when it comes to Twitter. He's been using it more often lately, which is worrying considering that he just deleted his Instagram account after people realized he was selling hat for Bitcoin (after saying he wasn't).
Elon Musk deleted his Instagram after getting called out for selling Bitcoin-related merchandise for $20 on his website. Yes, $20! pic.twitter.com/eJUoP6KjzA — Matt Navarra ⭐️ (@MattNavarra) June 19, 2018
He also literally blocked a Tesla fan, who was worried about the company's financial situation, from the company's official twitter account:
So many tweets in so little time - it's clear that Musk can't stay off Twitter. The problem is that he needs to start thinking more before he tweets and stop deleting people who are concerned about Tesla or SpaceX's future.
I just want to point out that Elon Musk makes a salary of... $1.2 billion. That is, being generous, 120% what the average American makes in a year. But still - if he doesn't need this money, then why does he need it?
If I earn much more than 5x more than a middle class American in my lifetime, it can never be about money for me. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 1, 2018
I'm still not sure if I agree with his views as an entrepreneur, but I can definitely agree that he does not deserve to have such a high-paying job and be so thin-skinned when people disagree. If you want to drive your employees crazy, maybe it's not the right career choice for you.