Musk tells Twitter employees the company needs to "get well."
Tesla boss reaffirms vision for social media platform he plans to buy for $44bn in open-ended meeting

Elon Musk has warned Twitter employees that the company needs to "get healthy" and "rationalize headcount and expenses" as he addressed Social Media employees directly for the first time since the launch of his $44 billion takeover bid Media platform turned.
In a smartphone-videotaped address to 8,000 employees on Thursday, Musk outlined a bold vision for the future of Twitter should he succeed in privatizing the company. The candid conversation also touched on topics such as content moderation, teleworking and foreigners.
The billionaire Tesla boss said he wants Twitter to build a user base of at least 1 billion people worldwide, according to a person familiar with the situation. The company has 229 million daily active users who log in and the platform serves ads to them.
This would ensure people on Twitter aren't "harassed," he said, while adding a range of features to emulate Chinese platform WeChat, a "superapp" that lets users send messages, payments, all in one place make, shop or book taxis.
Referring to a second Chinese app, he said that TikTok had succeeded in making sure its content wasn't "boring" - and that Twitter should follow in its footsteps.
Still, Musk also hinted that layoffs, cost-cutting, or a reorganization could be on the horizon, adding, "Right now, costs are outpacing revenue. It's not a good situation."
His responses during the hour-long meeting, during which the staff's questions were read by Twitter's Chief Marketing Officer Leslie Berland, suggest he's still making plans for how he will run the company.
Musk has repeatedly criticized Twitter leadership, accusing the executives of not providing enough data on fake accounts and violating commitments related to the deal. This has led to speculation that he may be trying to renegotiate at a lower price or leave the company.
Musk made his bid for Twitter in April, promising to bring "free speech" to what he calls the "digital marketplace" and to oppose restrictions on content moderation. On Thursday, he doubled down on those suggestions, adding that he believes "pretty rude" tweets should be allowed on the platform.
Musk said advertising will remain important to revenue, but he hopes to diversify into payments, subscriptions, and paid user verification. In an early presentation shared with investors, he said he would aim to quintuple revenue to $24.6 billion by 2028, according to a source familiar with the document.
Morale on Twitter has been low throughout the process as many employees are unsure whether they will be able to keep their jobs if the deal goes through or whether the company's stock price could suffer if it fails.
Some fear Musk's intense leadership style will clash with Twitter's more relaxed workplace culture. He recently insisted his Tesla employees show up at least 40 hours a week in the office or find another employer -- in stark contrast to Twitter's promise during the coronavirus pandemic that employees "will work full-time from home forever." can" if they wish.
During Thursday's meeting, Musk softened his stance a bit, saying that while he was biased towards working in person, Twitter employees who do "extraordinary" work may be able to work remotely.
In a rambling response when asked if he intended to become CEO, he said he didn't mind either way before outlining his vision of "consciousness expanding" in the world and contemplating whether extraterrestrials exist. "I haven't seen any evidence of extraterrestrials yet," he added.
