Elon Musk is no stranger to making waves on Twitter. Even before acquiring the social media giant for $44 billion in October 2022, the tech tycoon was known for his prolific tweeting habits and controversial opinions. But since taking over as Twitter‘s CEO, Musk‘s tweets now carry even greater weight and influence.
In this comprehensive guide, we dive into 13 of Elon Musk‘s most popular, impactful and talked-about tweets since gaining the reins at Twitter. For context, we‘ll also look at key events leading up to and following Musk‘s high-profile Twitter takeover.
Musk‘s Journey to Becoming "Chief Twit"
Elon Musk first joined Twitter in June 2009. Despite only following about 100 accounts, he quickly amassed millions of followers himself thanks to his fame as CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. By April 2022, Musk had accrued over 80 million followers – more than any other CEO in the world at the time.
Musk also built a reputation as an irreverent, meme-loving Twitter power user who wasn‘t afraid of controversy. He tweeted upwards of 10 times per day and regularly weighed in on breaking news events, cryptocurrencies, political issues, pop culture…you name it.
A self-proclaimed "free speech absolutist," Musk had long been critical of Twitter‘s content moderation policies. In March 2022, he started acquiring shares of Twitter stock. By April, he had become the platform‘s largest shareholder with a 9.2% stake.
Initially offered a seat on Twitter‘s board, Musk turned it down and instead put forward a $44 billion offer to buy Twitter outright and take it private. What followed was a volatile back-and-forth featuring rejected bids, legal threats, contractual disputes, and Twitter‘s "poison pill" defense.
But on October 27th, after months of uncertainty, Musk completed his $44 billion mega-deal and took over as Twitter CEO. Calling himself "Chief Twit," he vowed to defeat spam bots, promote free speech, and turn Twitter into a digital town square for debate and discussion.
Announcing His Twitter Takeover
On April 25th, 2022 – after it became clear the Twitter board would reject his buyout offer – Musk tweeted publicly for the first time about his intentions to acquire the company. In a post that‘s now received over 1 million likes, Musk wrote:
"I made an offer."
Attached was a link to the SEC filing containing his official buyout proposal to purchase 100% of Twitter‘s shares at $54.40 apiece.
Despite initial resistance, Musk refused to surrender. His unexpected all-cash offer put major pressure on Twitter‘s board and set the takeover bid in motion. The tweet itself underscored Musk‘s confidence and that this was just his opening salvo.
Trolling Critics as Deal Drama Mounted
During the six months that followed Musk‘s unsolicited bid, there were endless twists and turns. Twitter‘s board adopted a "poison pill" plan to thwart the offer. Musk lined up financing partners, then drew scrutiny over where the money was coming from.
There were legal threats from both sides over breaching the purchase agreement. At multiple points Musk even threatened to scrap the whole deal. Through it all, he continued tweeting critiques, jabs, memes, and backhanded compliments trolling his naysayers.
In one April tweet, Musk poked fun at critics claiming he would allow dangerous speech on Twitter:
"Next I‘m buying Coca-Cola to put the cocaine back in."
The post earned over 3.5 million likes out of those recognizing it as classic Musk sarcasm. Similarly, another tweet from July 25th read:
"they said I couldn‘t buy Twitter…then they wouldn‘t sell me Twitter…then they had to sell me Twitter…now they are saying I overpaid for Twitter…and I‘m like, whatever, haters gonna hate etc…"
Once again Musk demonstrated his knack for disarming vitriol on social media by poking fun at himself.
Entering Twitter HQ with a "Sink"
On October 26th – a day before completing the $44 billion deal – Musk made one of his trademark surprise appearances at Twitter‘s San Francisco headquarters.
Accompanying a short clip of Musk strolling into HQ carrying a kitchen sink, his tweet read:
"Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in!"
The sink pun combined with the nonchalant video racked up over 77 million views and widespread smiles. It exemplified Musk‘s propensity not just to take over companies but to have some fun while doing so.
Talking to Twitter employees later, Musk also described them as "exceptionally great people" – a warm gesture following such a tumultuous takeover process.
Declaring "The Bird is Freed" as Deal Closes
Shortly before 6 p.m. Pacific Time on Thursday, October 27th, 2022 – after six drama-filled months – Musk officially took ownership of Twitter. Celebrating his first day as Twitter‘s new CEO and sole director, Musk‘s statement to the world was characteristically simple.
His post read:
"the bird is freed"
Attracting nearly 2 million likes, the proclamation encapsulated Musk‘s stated aim of allowing more free-flowing speech on a platform he felt over-censored certain voices. Early on, Musk changed his own Twitter profile to read "Chief Twit" in a further nod to his new role.
True to his principles, among Musk‘s first moves as CEO were meeting with civil rights advocates concerned over hate speech as well as indicating fired executives who suppressed free speech could return.
Sparking Outrage Proposing Ukraine Peace Plan
Never one to shy away from thorny political issues, Musk entered Ukraine-Russia geopolitics shortly into his Twitter tenure – quickly learning the sensitivity around such conflicts.
On October 3rd, Musk floated a Twitter poll to his followers proposing what a peace deal ending Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine might look like. His four components covered Crimea formally becoming part of Russia, repeating annexation referendums under UN supervision, Ukraine remaining neutral, and guaranteeing water supply to Crimea.
The swift and overwhelming backlash from Ukrainians and supporters led Musk to clarify the poll was simply seeking opinions rather than endorsing a particular position. But the damage was partly done regarding suspicions over Musk‘s stances involving Russia and Ukraine.
Lifting Lifetime Twitter Bans
Implementing his call for more unrestricted conversation on Twitter, Musk announced on November 24th 2022 that there would be "a general amnesty" for suspended accounts "provided that they have not broken the law or engaged in egregious spam."
The startling move opened the door for restoring the accounts of figures who had been banned potentially indefinitely – including former President Donald Trump who lost access to his widely followed @realDonaldTrump account in 2021.
While Musk qualified the amnesty based on legal and spam violations, he has conveyed a higher tolerance than past management for objectionable speech. His post instantly re-ignited debates over content moderation standards, political polarization, online toxicity and more.
Turning ‘Twitter Blue‘ into a Paid Subscription
As part of his push to boost Twitter‘s profitability, Musk announced on November 1st that the platform‘s optional premium service Twitter Blue would now cost $7.99 per month. For context, Blue previously ran $4.99 monthly and provided perks like custom app icons or easy tweet editing.
Musk‘s upgraded version pledged advance access to new features plus the coveted blue check verification badge that Twitter introduced years earlier. The move represented both a premium offering for serious users and a way for Twitter to gain revenue from those wanting verification.
However within days, pranksters exploited the still-in-testing verification option to impersonate brands and celebrities – causing Twitter to halt the rollout. While Musk continues tweaking the revised service, the saga highlighted the balancing act between monetization and combating platform misuse.
Teasing His Latest Venture: "Burnt Hair" Cologne
Never lacking ideas for new products or companies, Musk‘s combination of humor and entrepreneurialism struck again recently with a bizarre tweet advertising his latest launch…men‘s fragrance.
On October 11th Musk introduced the world to Burnt Hair, a perfume sold through his Boring Company known for things like underground tunnels and flamethrowers with a tweet that simply read:
"The finest fragrance on Earth!"
Within just days Burnt Hair unexpectedly sold over 10,000 bottles earning $1 million at $100 apiece. Reviews compared the smell to burned hair or barbecue meat. Once again Musk managed to generate buzz and pull of an improbable new product essentially as a joke.
Offering to Buy Manchester United Football Club
Musk has floated interest in owning teams from the NFL to European football club Manchester United. And shortly into his Twitter tenure, Musk returned to his desire to purchase the iconic but recently struggling English Premier League squad.
In the early hours on August 17th, Musk fired off a tweet reading:
"I‘m buying Manchester United ur welcome"
While some dismissed it as a passing thought from the world‘s richest man, Musk later clarified he was in fact serious about acquiring the football club valued around $4.5 billion. Ultimately the owning Glazer family said the team was not for sale, but Musk generated plenty of excitement at the possibility.
Polling Users Over Resigning as Twitter CEO
Barely two weeks into his job leading Twitter, Musk stirred new waves by openly musing over whether he was the right long-term CEO fit for the social media platform. Rather than internal talks or a press statement, he crowd-sourced input from Twitter‘s users themselves.
His November 19th tweet point-blank asked:
"Should I step down as head of Twitter? I will abide by the results of this poll."
Out of over 17.5 million votes cast in 24 hours, 57.5% said Musk should step down while 42.5% wished him to remain at the helm. However, it‘s uncertain whether any leadership change is imminent. The episode exemplified Musk‘s unconventional, interactive approach.
Petitioning Apple During App Store Dispute
Escalating quickly, a serious spat between Twitter‘s new CEO and Apple‘s Tim Cook unfolded in late November over the iPhone maker‘s App Store fees and alleged free speech censorship. The rare public feud sparked anxious trading in both mega-cap stocks.
After claiming Apple "mostly stopped advertising on Twitter," Musk accused the company of "[threatening] to withhold Twitter from its App Store" without detailing reasons why. Switching gears from confrontation to seeking feedback, Musk then tweeted:
"Do you support Apple giving me a 30% cut on everything you buy through Twitter‘s iOS app, u/ElonMusk"
The appeal earned over two million votes in a few hours, with 84% opposing what they view as Apple‘s "secret 30% tax" on purchases through apps listed in their App Store. Musk has been polling Twitter users to back his arguments in several clashes, though the strategy‘s impact remains unclear. The billionaire shows no signs of tempering his combative, public approach to controversy so far.
Sharing Ukraine Satellite Internet Coverage Maps
While some Musk moves draw criticism, he makes tangible gestures too – most recently involving Ukraine. Upon hearing Ukraine was experiencing rolling internet blackouts due to Russian attacks damaging infrastructure, Musk responded swiftly.
On November 24th, he tweeted updated snapshots from his Starlink satellite internet service showing its newly expanded coverage across war-ravaged regions of Ukraine. Musk wrote:
"You‘re welcome"
Starlink has proven essential for providing reliable communication lines unencumbered by damaged fibre/power lines or compromised local networks. Its satellite dishes grant occupied areas offline connectivity crucial for defense coordination and civilian communications that avoids reliance on traditional telecom providers. Though seemingly small, Musk‘s satellite internet assist symbolizes his support.
Rallying Twitter to Defeat Fake "Verified" Accounts
Among Musk‘s biggest headaches since taking over Twitter has been a flood of new fake "verified" accounts impersonating public figures, businesses and others to spread misinformation or hoaxes. Despite attempts to quickly squash them, the issue persisted.
Rather than just venting frustration, Musk sought to motivate his workforce – tweeting on November 11th:
"Too many corrupt legacy Blue "verification" checkmarks exist, so no choice but to remove legacy Blue in coming months, even as we replace it with new tamper-proof Blue.
Far too easy to impersonate someone with the current system. An earnest attempt at a solution will be made."
Doubling down, he praised Twitter employees directly, tweeting: "I‘d like to congratulate Twitter team on reducing 90% of hateful tweets! The remaining 10% will be tougher…". Though a bumpy start overall, Musk aims to rally staff morale during the challenging cleanup.
Key Takeaways
It‘s been a whirlwind two months for Elon Musk since sealing his blockbuster $44 billion Twitter purchase and assuming the CEO role. Despite criticsblasting everything from mass resignations to policy 180s, Musk forges ahead undaunted.
His blistering tweetstorm certainly generates headlines – systemic changes one minute, random jokes the next. Supporters hail his transparency while detractors cry inconsistency and recklessness. No matter your take, Musk‘s tenure so far perfectly encapsulates his trademark improvisation and sharp elbows in pursuing his vision for Twitter 2.0.
Where exactly Musk steers the massively influential platform still remains deeply uncertain. But one thing‘s guaranteed – with him at the helm as Chief Twit, there won‘t be a shortage of drama anytime soon!
