After buying Twitter in 2022, Elon Musk instituted sweeping changes. He laid off or fired about 75% of the staff –including about half the data scientists. He also ended rules banning hate speech and misinformation. Authors Kate Conger and Ryan Mac recount the takeover in Character Limit. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
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This is FRESH AIR.
I'm Terry Gross.
Trump has said that if he's re elected, he would appoint Elon Musk as the head of a new efficiency commission with the mission of conducting a complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government and making recommendations for drastic reforms.
How have Musks drastic efficiency reforms and other major changes worked out at what was Twitter and became X?
After Musk's takeover, Musk laid off or fired about 75% of the staff, eliminated rules banning hate speech and disinformation, alienated many advertisers as well as users of the platform, and lost money.
Musk has made major financial contributions to Trumps re election campaign and has endorsed him on X.
My guests are two New York Times Tech reporters who are the authors of the new book character how Elon Musk destroyed Twitter.
Kate Conger has covered the tech industry for over a decade and has been reporting on X and Musk.
Shes based in San Francisco.
Ryan Mack is based in Los Angeles, and hes reported for more than a decade on wealth and power in Silicon Valley.
Musk is the wealthiest man in the world.
Kit Conger and Ryan Mack, welcome to Fresh Air.
So if Trump wins, he wants to appoint Musk to head this new efficiency commission.
So, first of all, Musk is a major contributor to a Trump super PAC.
How much did he give?
So its actually not clear how much hes given thus far.
Theres been a lot of talk and discussion about him giving up to $180 million to the super PAC, but we're still waiting to see whether or not he will give that money.