Updated: Elon Musk Sacks Top Executives After Taking Over Twitter

Elon Musk on Thursday closed the $44 billion Twitter deal to officially take over the company as the owner, bringing a brand new dimension to one of the world’s most influential social media platforms.

This took place late on Thursday as Musk was said to have taken immediate steps by firing several longtime top Twitter executives, a piece of information which was obtained from three people familiar with the matter but spoke strictly on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

It was revealed that the chief executive Parag Agrawal, chief financial officer Ned Segal and Vijaya Gadde, head of legal policy, trust, and safety, were fired. Sean Edgett, the company’s general counsel, was also not left out, as the top executives were hastily escorted out of the company’s San Francisco headquarters.

Musk’s moves late Thursday signals his intentions to firmly put his stamp on Twitter, as he has publicly criticized the company’s outgoing management over product decisions and content moderation, as well as saying he would restore former president Donald Trump’s account.

Still, “Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences!” Musk tweeted Thursday, in a post offering assurances to advertisers.

After all was said and done later that evening, he tweeted, “the bird is freed.”