Elon Musk visiting Twitter headquarters this week ahead of expected deal closing
By Donie O’Sullivan and Clare Duffy, CNN Business
Elon Musk plans to visit Twitter’s San Francisco office this week ahead of the expected close of his deal to buy the company, Twitter Chief Marketing Officer Leslie Berland told staff in an email Wednesday.
“As you’ll soon see or hear, Elon is in the SF office this week meeting with folks, walking the halls, and continuing to dive in on the important work you all do,” Berland said in the email, which was obtained by CNN Business. “If you’re in SF and see him around, say hi! For everyone else, this is just the beginning of many meetings and conversations with Elon.”
Berland added that all Twitter employees will hear directly from Musk on Friday.
Shortly after the email went out, Musk tweeted a video of himself entering Twitter’s office carrying the bowl of a sink, writing, “Entering Twitter HQ — let that sink in!”
Musk has until the end of the week to close his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter or face a trial, and is reportedly planning to do so on Friday. The deal closing would bring to an end a months-long battle over the acquisition, which Musk previously sought to exit but earlier this month agreed to move forward with the deal on the originally agreed upon terms.
Musk on Wednesday also changed his Twitter bio to “Chief Twit.”
Musk is likely to face many questions from nervous employees when he addresses Twitter’s staff.
The Washington Post last week reported that Musk told prospective investors in the deal that he planned to cut nearly 75% of the company’s staff, and that Twitter had already planned massive layoffs even if the deal did not go through. Following the Washington Post report, Twitter General Counsel Sean Edgett sent a memo to staff saying the company does “not have any confirmation of the buyer’s plans following close and recommend not following rumors or leaked documents but rather wait for facts from us and the buyer directly,” according to a report from Bloomberg. A Twitter spokesperson confirmed to CNN the authenticity of the memo.
Musk had previously discussed dramatically reducing Twitter’s workforce in text messages with friends about the deal, which were revealed in court filings, and didn’t dismiss the potential for layoffs in a call with Twitter employees in June.
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