Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, acquired Twitter in October 2022 for approximately $44 billion.
His takeover sparked significant changes and controversy, beginning with sweeping layoffs that affected roughly half of Twitter's workforce, including key executives and entire teams responsible for content moderation and cybersecurity.
Musk's stated goal was to transform Twitter into a platform for free speech, but his approach led to concerns about increased misinformation, hate speech, and the loss of advertising revenue.
He also introduced product changes, such as charging for verification badges, which met with mixed responses.
The acquisition and subsequent changes have significantly impacted Twitter's culture, user engagement, and business stability, with ongoing debates about the platform's direction under Musk's leadership.