Parag Agrawal said that the founder of Tesla and SpaceX announced his decision last Monday – the day he was to be appointed. “I think this is for the best,” Agrawal said, adding that the company was “clear about the risks” of Musk joining the board, without giving specific reasons. However, the board felt it was best for Musk to be a “loyalist of the company,” he said, adding that “like all board members, he must act in the best interests of the company and all of our shareholders.” Musk seemed to be looking forward to joining the board, writing on Twitter on Thursday that his next meeting would “light up”. Image: Musk proposes turning Twitter headquarters into a homeless shelter Musk, who describes himself as a dictator of free speech, has criticized Twitter in the past. Before taking his share, he conducted a poll asking users if they believed Twitter adhered to the principle of free speech. One day after becoming the largest shareholder, he asked users if they wanted an edit button, something the site is working on. Twitter headquarters in San Francisco could be turned into a homeless shelter, Musk suggested. He wrote an emoji on Twitter by hand after Mr. Agrawal’s announcement. The CEO said the board was “excited to work” with Musk under “historical control” and had “many discussions” about it, both between themselves and with Musk. “Elon is our largest shareholder and we will remain open to his contribution,” Agrawal added in a statement posted on Twitter. Twitter had already informed the US securities regulator that Musk would join the board as a Class II executive after buying a 9.2% stake worth nearly $ 3 billion. Shares rose 27% after revealing that percentage. Musk also suggested that users be allowed to pay for their premium subscription service – Twitter Blue – with the dogecoin cryptocurrency. The offer of a position on the company’s board had preoccupied some Twitter employees, who were worried about his stance on moderation. Several officials told Reuters news agency that Musk’s views could weaken long-standing efforts to make Twitter a safe haven and could allow trolling and mob attacks to flourish. Following the ban on Donald Trump from Facebook and Twitter, the billionaire wrote on Twitter that many people would be unhappy with US tech companies acting as a “de facto arbiter of free speech.”
