A particularly juicy new document has surfaced in the discovery leading to Elon Musk’s lawsuit against Twitter, which is expected to take place in a few weeks. Here it is: a wealth of texts between Musk and key Twitter figures, like founder Jack Dorsey, chairman of the board Bret Taylor and current CEO Parag Agrawal, and other informal discussions with investor Jason Calacanis and even Joe Rogan.
There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s get to it.
“I don’t think I should be anyone’s boss”
Elon Musk doesn’t want to be a boss. This is a big eye opener for someone who is the CEO of several companies.
In an early April conversation with Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal – before their relationship soured to the point of poo emojis – Musk admitted he didn’t like being 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 issues,” Musk told Agrawal.
Musk and Agrawal’s relationship seemed promising at first.
“Treat me like an engineer instead of a CEO,” Agrawal told Musk.
Throughout their conversations, Twitter founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey regularly praises Agrawal’s engineering ability. But on April 26, Dorsey, Musk and Agrawal got together on Google Hangout to discuss the takeover. Judging by the texts, it didn’t go well.
“At least it’s become clear that you can’t work together. It clarified,” Dorsey said.
Count your blessings you don’t need to pay Doge to tweet
Elon Musk had some controversial ideas for Twitter, like verifying all human users and making the algorithm open source (it was Dorsey’s idea first). But perhaps his worst idea yet is to fight bot spam by making people pay dogecoins to tweet.
“I have an idea for a blockchain social media system that does both payments and short text messages/links like Twitter. spam and bots.There is no throat to choke, so freedom of expression is guaranteed.
A few days later, on April 13, Musk’s idea took shape.
“My plan B is a blockchain-based version of Twitter, where ‘tweets’ are integrated into the comments transaction,” he told Steve Davis, president of The Boring Company. “So you may have to pay 0.1 Doge per comment or repost of that comment.”
Fortunately, Musk later concluded that a blockchain-based Twitter would not be feasible at this time.
Jack Dorsey is known as “jack jack” in Elon’s phone
We already knew Dorsey was on Musk’s takeover train. But in these texts, it seems that the two entrepreneurs really respect each other. So much so that Dorsey earned the nickname “jack jack” in Elon’s phone. Cute!
As early as March, Dorsey and Musk were discussing the future of Twitter.
“A new platform is needed. It can’t be a business. That’s why I left,” Dorsey said. When Musk asked what Twitter should look like, Jack Jack replied, “I think it needs to be an open source protocol, funded by some sort of foundation that doesn’t own the protocol, just advances it. Kind of like what Signal did. It cannot have an advertising model.
In a public comment in April, Dorsey said “Elon is the singular solution” he trusts. But he was just as supportive of Musk privately.
“I appreciate you. It’s the right and the only way. I will continue to do whatever it takes to make it work,” Jack told Musk.
Gayle King: Buying Twitter is a ‘gangster stunt’
Elon Musk doesn’t employ communications teams and generally doesn’t like talking to reporters. But, alas, he’s talking to CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King.
“ELON! You buy Twitter or offer to buy Twitter Wow!” the news anchor told Musk. today say a ‘gangsta movement’.”
We’re pretty sure kids don’t say that. But it should be noted that Gayle King is one of the few women Musk has ever spoken to over hundreds of texts.
Musk then told Gayle King that Oprah should join Twitter’s board.
“Perhaps Oprah would be interested in joining Twitter’s board if my bid is successful. Wisdom about humanity and knowing what’s right are more important than so-called ‘board governance’ skills. ‘administration’, which means next to nothing in my experience,” Musk said.
To be honest, we’d be watching an Oprah interview with Elon Musk.
Joe Lonsdale wanted to connect Musk and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
Also making an appearance is Joe Lonsdale, who co-founded Palantir and now runs venture capital firm 8VC. Lonsdale recently made remarks blaming black culture for racial disparities in funding and calling men who take paternity leave “losers,” for context.
“Love your tweet ‘Twitter algorithms should be open source’…” Lonsdale texted in late March. “Our public squares must not have arbitrary summary censorship.”
Musk replied “Absolutely. What we have right now is hidden corruption!
Lonsdale returned in mid-April. “Haha, even Governor DeSantis just called me with ideas on how to help you and outrages on this advice and saying the public supports you,” Lonsdale wrote. “Let me know if you or anyone on your side would like to chat with him.” (Musk responded with a short, blunt “Haha cool.”)
Jason Calacanis has 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 takeover bid was out in the wild, joking that Musk should up his offer to $54.21 – “the perfect meter”.
“You can easily clean up bots and spam and make the service viable for many more users. Removing bots and spam is much less of a hassle than what Tesla’s self-driving team does,” Calacanis wrote. . “And why should blue ticks be reserved for the elite, the press and celebrities? How is that democratic?
Calacanis also stepped in the next day to offer more unsolicited advice, including his suggestion to cut Twitter’s workforce by more than half to make its revenue calculations more favorable. “Day zero,” Calacanis wrote. “Sharpen your blades boys. Office requirement 2 days a week = 20% voluntary departures.
He also suggested Twitter hire MrBeast to create original video content and dive into more creator monetization features with video — a “huge unlock” — giving video creators 100% of ad revenue until their first. million dollars and then distributing the income.
Both Musk and Calacanis agreed that Twitter Blue is “insane shit” and that its features should be razed and redesigned. “These dipshits spent a year on Twitter Blue giving people exactly… Nothing they want!” Calacanis texted.
When asked by Musk if he wanted to be a strategic adviser if the deal went through, Calacanis swore the textual equivalent of an oath to the future owner of Twitter: “Board member, adviser, whatever…you have my sword,” Calacanis wrote. “Put me in the game coach!” CEO of Twitter is my dream job.
His enthusiasm seems to have gotten him into hot water with Musk soon after.
“What is happening with you who market an SPV for hiking? This is not correct,” Musk wrote in May. “Morgan Stanley and Jared [Birchall, Musk’s wealth manager/right-hand man] think you’re not using our friendship in a good way.
Calacanis defended himself by describing how the Musk/Twitter deal “captures the imagination of the world in ways unimaginable,” hence why he took it upon himself to pique investor interest.
“You know I’m gonna ride or die brother – I’ll jump on a big [sic] for you,” Calacanis said, earning himself a tapback.
Joe Rogan was thrilled
“I REALLY hope you have Twitter,” Joe Rogan texted on March 23. “If you do, we should throw one hell of a party.” (Musk responded with the 100 emoji.)
Rogan also asked if Musk would “liberate Twitter from the censorship-happy mob.”
“I will give advice, which they may or may not choose to follow,” Musk said.
Riot Games President Mark Merrill Thinks Elon Is Batman
We quote directly without comment:
“You are the hero Gotham needs – damn it yes!”
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