Twitter CEO Elon Musk should have re-read his response to a concerned employee who was unsure about his employment status and resorted to contacting Musk directly on the very platform he acquired for $44 billion.
Musk's reply reprimanding the employee wound up being an inadvertent self-own that was a condemnatory admission about Twitter.
Musk was subsequently mocked for arguing that verbally interacting with people was a far better communicative option than using Twitter.
The employee that questioned his employment status after being locked out of his work computer without warning was Haraldur Thorleifsson–a 45-year-old disabled entrepreneur who lives in the Icelandic capital Reykjavik with a wife and two kids.
When Halli futilely reached out to the human resources department through the appropriate channels and didn't hear back, he decided to go directly to the source and tweet at Musk to ask if he was laid off.
The last resort tactic prompted the CEO to mockingly reply, "What work have you been doing?"
Halli, who suffers from muscular dystrophy–a disease that weakens the muscles over time–responded by saying he saved Twitter $500,000 on a software-as-a-service contract and led prioritization of design projects.
After Halli told Musk the head of HR contacted him and told him he was fired, Musk continued to harp on him and made an ableist remark, saying that Halli:
“...did no actual work, claimed as his excuse that he had a disability that prevented him from typing, yet was simultaneously tweeting up a storm.”
After some continued back-and-forth in the thread, a Twitter user who closely worked with Halli confirmed that his job performance and work ethic were “next level."
Musk then said he video-called Halli "to figure out what’s real vs what I was told.”
He then proffered:
"Better to talk to people than communicate via tweet."
Based on your comment, I just did a videocall with Halli to figure out what’s real vs what I was told. It’s a long story.
Better to talk to people than communicate via tweet.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 7, 2023
People thought the last part of the insufferable Twitter boss' statement was a hilarious self-own.
An hour later, Musk backed down and apologized to Halli and chalked it up to a "misunderstanding."
He also gave a positive update on Halli's employment status.
"I would like to apologize to Halli for my misunderstanding of his situation."
"It was based on things I was told that were untrue or, in some cases, true, but not meaningful. He is considering remaining at Twitter.'
I would like to apologize to Halli for my misunderstanding of his situation. It was based on things I was told that were untrue or, in some cases, true, but not meaningful.
He is considering remaining at Twitter.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 7, 2023
However, people still couldn't get past Musk's suggestion to adopt a solution he apparently believed was more efficient than tweeting.
If only you didn’t have to step on 100 rakes before realizing stuff
— Mankrik’s Wife (@Marty_Shannon) March 7, 2023
Halli deserves a boss who doesn't violate who knows how many laws to disclose disabilities to the public VERY publicly and then mock him, his work ethic, AND his disability based on *checks notes* "what he heard".
I'm sure it has nothing to do with the no-fire list 🙃🙃🙃
— emppu (@daelilah) March 8, 2023
The owner of Twitter says it's "better to talk to people than communicate via tweet." Time for us to all log off? pic.twitter.com/0ROLrREfH8
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) March 8, 2023
Issuing a correction on a previous tweet of mine. Iceland’s Person of the Year, who I happen to employ, is not, as it turns out, “a worthless sack of shit who never did a full day’s work in his meaningless life” pic.twitter.com/3sDGsqdKNN
— Matt Novak (@paleofuture) March 8, 2023
This whole saga has been incredible, but also how funny is it for the guy who paid $44bn for twitter to say “better to talk to people than communicate via tweet” pic.twitter.com/CYk4aZJhRo
— Cassie Pritchard (again) (@hecubian_devil) March 8, 2023
Took him 44 billion dollars and daily public humiliation to realise that, "Better to talk to people than communicate via tweet." pic.twitter.com/osHGnPc2gJ
— Deepu (@deepusebastian) March 8, 2023
Users continued criticizing the CEO's MO of handling of the situation.
So you publicly smeared and fired him before doing your due diligence? I mean, I guess you acknowledged you were wrong after the public outrage, at least..?
— Rzrback479 (@rzrback479) March 8, 2023
The employee told you that he attempted to reach out to both you and HR. Tweeting at you was his last resort after weeks of no contact. You could have taken it to private channels after initiating contact but you wanted to publicly flay somebody for clout. Sad.
— Very Legendary Cone『ScuffedTuber』 (@DatBoiVLC) March 8, 2023
But Elon, you didn't communicate via tweet. You SMEARED HIM and made fun of his disability in front of HOW MANY USERS? I respect your achievements, but I would NEVER invest in one of your companies becuz of the risk that you'd BURN IT DOWN based on insufficient info or a whim.
— Tomas Robinson (@WmDeWorde) March 8, 2023
Musk laid off thousands of Twitter employees since his takeover in October as a way to retain profitability for the platform.
The staff count was reduced to 2,000 from roughly 7,500 in October as part of his cost-cutting strategy, according to The New York Times.
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