‘All these damn birds have to go’: Elon Musk to Twitter aide prior to bringing down company’s iconic chirpy logo

Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, marked by the replacement of the company’s iconic bird logo with a dark X sign, was characterized by a series of dramatic events.

As his biographer, Walter Isaacson, unveiled the behind-the-scenes chaos of the acquisition, it was revealed that Musk expressed his desire to remove the bird logo, exclaiming, ‘all these damn birds have got to go.’ Initially amused by the chirpy logo, Musk later grew repulsed by its ubiquity within the company’s offices.

The takeover brought significant changes to Twitter, including the controversial decision to charge users for verification and the abrupt firing of hundreds of staff members. Musk’s dissatisfaction with the bird logo and his vision to transform Twitter into an ‘everything app’ led to these transformative actions.

In the days leading up to the takeover’s completion, Musk visited Twitter’s headquarters, where he expressed his disdain for the logo and what he called the ‘woke-mind virus’ that had taken hold of the company. Ultimately, he accelerated the takeover by executing a calculated plan to dismiss senior leadership before their stocks vested.

On the day the deal was finalized, Musk received confirmation of the funds transfer, and simultaneously, the executives’ Twitter email accounts were shut down, and hand-delivered termination letters were issued to them. Musk’s takeover was executed with precision and finality.

Since taking ownership of Twitter (which was later rebranded as X.com), Musk has introduced a series of controversial changes, including removing the ability to block other accounts and plans to bring audio and video calls to the platform. These changes have garnered mixed reactions, with concerns about potential abuse and privacy.

Musk’s journey at X.com has been marked by a series of bold decisions and shifts, impacting the platform and its users in significant ways. The story of Musk’s tenure at X.com continues to evolve, with new developments and controversies arising regularly.