Leaked transcript: Elon Musk’s first assembly with Twitter staff

On Thursday morning, Elon Musk addressed Twitter staff for the primary time in a Q&A consultation about how he’ll run the social media corporate. The assembly comes after weeks of uncertainty about whether or not the deal is going on in any respect.

Within the assembly, Musk responded difficult questions submitted from staff, together with how he’s going to care for contentious speech at the platform, whether or not he plans layoffs, and if he’s going to permit staff to proceed to paintings remotely.

Whilst Musk equipped few main points that might assuage the ones at Twitter who worry Musk’s self-labeled loose speech ideology and control genre — it was once one of the crucial considerable conversations Musk has had but about how he in truth plans to modify the corporate.

The next is a hurry transcript of Twitter’s interior assembly on June 16, 2022. This transcript has been edited for period and readability.

The assembly began with a short lived creation from Parag Agrawal, Twitter’s present CEO. Twitter’s leader advertising officer, Leslie Berland, requested Musk questions submitted prematurely via Twitter staff.

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Parag Agrawal

So that you’re going to listen to from you are living and direct. And all of us respect you becoming a member of us these days.

Elon Musk

Completely, Parag. Thank you for having me. Happy so that you can discuss to everybody. And because we began past due, I’m going to head proper forward, hand it over to Leslie in order that she will be able to reasonable this Q&A consultation for us.

Leslie Berland

Superb. Thank you, Parag. Hello, Elon. Now we have so much to hide — a ton to hide. So I’m going to invite you a query that most often will get requested on the finish, which is: Will you come for a component two in the future if there are issues that we don’t duvet?

Elon Musk

Oh, yeah, completely. I’m satisfied to do this.

Leslie Berland

Ok, nice. … So I truly do see this as the start of a dialog, clearly, with the corporate at massive, after which additionally with groups and leaders over the following coming weeks and months and past. So we’re simply getting began. Ok, so I’m going to zoom all of the manner out to the explanation that we’re in truth right here in combination these days. And that’s since you love Twitter.

Elon Musk

I do love Twitter, yeah. So I need to be transparent about that. I really like Twitter. Actually, I actually have tweeted “I really like Twitter,”

Leslie Berland

You will have. So let us know, say extra. Why do you like Twitter? And likewise, why did you and do you need to shop for Twitter?

Elon Musk

Neatly, let’s see. I to find, like, I be informed so much from what I learn on Twitter, and what I see within the footage, movies, textual content, and memes that individuals create. I additionally to find it’s an effective way to get a message out over the telephone, once I need to say one thing and make a statement, I feel Twitter’s the easiest way to do this. It simply is going out instantly to everybody. And you already know, I kind of made this shaggy dog story already, however you already know, some folks use their hair to specific themselves, I take advantage of Twitter. So you already know, I to find it’s the most efficient discussion board for speaking with a large number of folks concurrently.

And getting that message at once to folks up to now, you’d must … to ensure that anyone to examine one thing, it’s a must to factor a press unlock, and then you definitely’d hope that the common media would write concerning the press unlock. After which they wouldn’t write about it in reasonably the way in which you’d like to jot down about it. I at all times to find the ones like, the old-style press releases more or less, truly reasonably atypical since you’re writing a press unlock about your self, which is kind of one thing that the media — it’s like, it’s overly flattering, it’s like vaguely kind of, you already know, propagandist — successfully — reasonably propagandist, after which hope that the media writes one thing favorable, which they most often don’t.

And, you already know, I feel that that in truth is possibly one of the vital greatest causes for the usage of Twitter is so I keep up a correspondence at once to folks and now not in the course of the lens of the media. And, you already know, I feel there’s clearly the most important function for the media to play. However as any individual is aware of who reads the newspaper, it’s coming thru reasonably a destructive lens. So it’s a must to say, what number of newspaper articles do you learn which might be sure? And what number of information articles do you learn which might be destructive? What proportion are sure, what proportion are destructive? After which while you examine — it’s clearly overwhelmingly destructive. After which while you examine one thing — newspaper is a dated time period, within the information — the place you in truth for my part perceive the location, how repeatedly has the media gotten it proper? I might say nearly by no means. No longer by no means, however nearly by no means.

So this can be a manner for folks to keep up a correspondence at once with each and every different and now not thru a destructive lens. And I feel that’s extraordinarily essential for the sector. So I’m kind of going waxing on about this, however I feel it’s lovely essential.

And you already know, a few of my feedback about Twitter being kind of like a virtual the town sq. — however truly a lot more than that, as a result of you’ll be able to’t put that many of us in a the town sq., however you be capable of keep up a correspondence with tens of millions of folks on Twitter. That’s simply a shockingly essential factor. And I feel it’s very important for a functioning democracy to serve as neatly.

I feel it’s very important to have loose speech and so that you can keep up a correspondence freely. Now you already know, the loose speech stuff: It’s loose speech throughout the context of the regulation. So I’m now not speaking about suggesting that we simply flout the regulation, as a result of we’ll simply get close down if that’s the case.

And I feel additionally, there’s freedom of speech or freedom of achieve. And freedom of speech is something, as a result of, like, any individual may simply cross into the center of Instances Sq. at the moment and say anything else they would like, they might simply stroll into the center of Instances Sq. and deny the Holocaust, ok? You’ll’t prevent them, they’ll simply do this. However that doesn’t imply that must be promoted to tens of millions of folks.

So I feel folks will have to be allowed to mention lovely outrageous issues which might be throughout the bounds of the regulation, however then that doesn’t get amplified, it doesn’t get, you already know, a ton of achieve.

And I feel the most important purpose for Twitter, truly, is to take a look at to incorporate as a lot of the rustic, as a lot of the sector, as imaginable. So lately, you already know, it’s a fairly small proportion of the sector this is — this can be a small proportion of the sector this is on Twitter — say, like day by day energetic customers, in the event you presume that that’s, say, 200 million, you’ve were given 8 billion folks on Earth, that 7.8 billion who aren’t on Twitter. In order that’s a reasonably large quantity.

And truly, I feel you need as a lot of the sector as imaginable on Twitter, you need to be as inclusive as imaginable, the broadest demographic, and for that to occur, folks should like being on Twitter.

So in the event that they’re being confused or in the event that they’re uncomfortable, they’re simply now not gonna use Twitter. We need to strike this steadiness of permitting folks to mention what they need to say but in addition make folks comfy on Twitter, or they only gained’t use it. It’ll be kind of reasonably area of interest.

However I feel there’s additionally so much that are meant to be performed on the subject of bettering the core generation and running of Twitter. Like at the moment, if anyone does, say, a video, like a content material author does a video, then they are able to put that video on YouTube and simply put a hyperlink to it from Twitter as a result of they’re in a position to monetize their content material on YouTube, however now not on Twitter. And I feel it’s gonna be truly essential so that you can need to put the content material on Twitter, which we do, then there needs to be a mechanism for content material creators to monetize that content material.

And they may twin publish and they are able to publish it to YouTube and to Twitter. However it’s, I feel it’s loopy at the moment that content material creators will use Twitter to power site visitors to their YouTube video as a result of that’s how they make a dwelling. And that truly will have to be on Twitter.

We need to mainly deal with the explanations that individuals like — why aren’t extra folks the usage of Twitter? And why do folks click on clear of Twitter? And if we will be able to deal with the ones causes, then then they’ll use Twitter extra, and so they’ll get better price from the provider. And, you already know, if I bring to mind, like, WeChat in China, which is in truth an ideal, nice app, however there’s no WeChat motion out of doors of China. And I feel that there’s an actual alternative to create that. You mainly continue to exist WeChat in China as it’s so helpful and so useful for your day by day lifestyles. And I feel if shall we reach that, and even just about that with Twitter, it could be an immense luck. Optimistically, this is — I truly went on there. And I’m satisfied to elaborate on any of the ones issues.

Leslie Berland

Yeah, no, it’s nice. And we’re gonna get slightly bit deeper on loose speech and coverage slightly bit later. So I do need to come again to this in truth. However on the subject of you, you obviously have a large number of ideas round kind of the issues with Twitter, the issues that aren’t operating neatly, and the boundaries to what’s imaginable. How do you spot your purchasing the corporate? Did that kind of feed your need to shop for the corporate or how do you spot this stuff come in combination? And what’s your idea procedure round that?

Elon Musk

Neatly, there’s certainly an ongoing problem with Twitter with bot accounts and unsolicited mail accounts. There’s reasonably a large number of crypto scams on Twitter. It’s gotten higher, however there’s nonetheless a good bit of that. There also are folks the place they’re now not essentially bots, however they could be running. You realize, one consumer’s running loads of accounts and looking to lead them to appear to be folks, however they’re now not.

So you already know, I feel a large number of stuff is more or less reiterating stuff that I stated publicly —if truth be told, on Twitter — however to ensure that folks to have accept as true with in Twitter, I feel it’s extraordinarily essential that there be transparency. In order that’s why I’m an recommend of getting the set of rules be open supply in order that folks can critique it, make stronger it, determine insects, doubtlessly, or bias. But if it’s clear, transparency clearly will increase accept as true with. So I feel it’s simply essential, like, anything else that’s going down on an automatic foundation be open supply and be transparent, and that if there’s any motion taken via somebody inside of Twitter to spice up, or de-boost, or one thing with a tweet that it’s simply very obviously recognized at the tweet, so folks aren’t ascribing malice the place there’s no malice.

But if it’s inscrutable, then folks don’t know what to assume. And they’ll every now and then assume the worst when that’s in truth now not true. So I feel that accept as true with is terribly essential. After which simply the usefulness of the machine, eliminating kind of troll farms and bots and unsolicited mail is amazingly essential.

I’ve a idea on this regard, which I feel would possibly paintings, which is to — as a result of this sort of leads us to Twitter Blue — however when you’ve got Twitter Blue, your id within the machine doesn’t alternate in any respect, you continue to have a regular person ID. However I feel if there was once like slightly Twitter Blue authenticated, now not like authenticated like a star, however authenticated a minimum of via Twitter Blue funds, piggybacking at the cost machine because of authentication, that I feel a large number of folks can be like, “Ok, that’s lovely useful to have some designation that displays my identify, that signifies I’m most likely now not a bot, or unsolicited mail, or one one who’s running 100 accounts.” And that’s like 3 greenbacks a month, I consider, I feel that might be lovely useful.

After which, additionally prioritizing feedback and mentions and whatnot, via who’s verified on this broader sense of the phrase of “verification.” Within the sense of you’re Twitter Blue verified, and simply prioritize that above somebody who’s now not now not verified. There’ll nonetheless be complete learn get right of entry to to the machine, nonetheless be complete write get right of entry to to the machine. However necessarily any tweets or our movements shall be prioritized in line with who’s verified. After which an excessively massive selection of folks may also be verified.

Leslie Berland

I’m gonna have a few follow-up questions in this, particularly, however given [that] you discussed accept as true with, I sought after to invite one of the vital worker questions round accept as true with. They stated, “Twitter has a large number of unbelievable, sensible, proficient folks. What are we able to do to earn your accept as true with? And what are you going to do to earn ours?”

Elon Musk

I feel accept as true with is as accept as true with does. So, I have a tendency to be extraordinarily literal in what I say. So, aspirationally, one does now not want to learn between the traces, one can merely learn the traces. So the issues that I’ve stated about Twitter, I feel, want to occur to ensure that it … to truly cross to the following stage. I feel the prospective is there for Twitter to be out there to an order of magnitude extra folks, and for lots extra folks to seek out it helpful.

Recently, I assume it could be a cutback, for 4 p.c of the sector or one thing like that. 4 or 5 p.c of the sector, hopefully, is discovering Twitter helpful, and possibly 50 p.c of the sector may to find Twitter helpful. So I need to take no matter movements would result in that. I’m very similar to […] I wouldn’t say it’s essentially a accept as true with factor. It’s like, if anyone is getting helpful issues performed, then that’s nice. But when they’re now not getting helpful issues performed, then I’m like, ok, why are they on the corporate? So it’s truly simply, we want to make stronger the core generation, make stronger the design.

Leslie Berland

Consider emerges from that.

Elon Musk

Yeah. … If anyone’s getting stuff performed, nice, I really like them. And in the event that they’re now not, I don’t like that and I don’t love them. It’s lovely simple.

Leslie Berland

I would like to stick in this matter of staff and the way we paintings. So disbursed paintings is one thing that has been core to our technique. Maximum of our folks paintings in a hybrid style. About 1,500 folks paintings far flung complete time. We all know that you just’ve lately despatched a conversation to Tesla executives about far flung paintings. Are you able to percentage what your perspective is on far flung paintings, and particularly for Twitter?

Elon Musk

Now Tesla makes automobiles and you can’t make automobiles remotely, clearly. You need to make automobiles in a large manufacturing facility, and the availability chain, and you’ve got to herald the portions, and collect them, after which shipping the auto to the landlord. All of this stuff should be performed in consumer as it’s bodily unimaginable to do them remotely. There are some roles at Tesla the place the paintings may also be performed remotely, like, say, tool or design. … I feel that’s nonetheless a case the place you need to aspire to do issues in consumer, but when anyone is outstanding at their process, then it’s imaginable for them to be efficient, even operating remotely.

So with Tesla, I’ve merely requested for an inventory — that the executive has to verify — that they’re a very good contributor, and in the event that they do, they’re allowed to paintings remotely. So it’s lovely fundamental, I feel. There’s a hit one takes, remotely, as it does scale back esprit de corps and … it more or less issues to be in consumer, a minimum of probably the most time. So one of the vital issues I’ve stated, even though anyone’s operating remotely, they gotta display up on the place of work sometimes in order that they acknowledge their colleagues and don’t stroll down the road and cross your colleagues and also you don’t acknowledge them. That might now not be excellent.

Leslie Berland

Neatly I feel that is tremendous clarifying, and resonates with us solely on the subject of how we paintings, so thanks for clarifying that matter. It’s truly essential to us. I want to stay at the matter of staff and probably the most questions that experience come thru. This one’s on reimbursement and advantages. The general public — particularly, clearly, right here — are used to operating for a public corporate. Are you able to communicate slightly bit about the way you compensate other folks at SpaceX as a non-public corporate, how does it paintings, and what method you intend to take at Twitter as a non-public corporate?

Elon Musk

Yeah. So SpaceX, I feel, operates in the most efficient of each worlds, the place inventory and choices are issued to everybody. However we don’t have all of the demanding situations of being a publicly traded corporate with a inventory that may be up and down from someday to the following — it may be reasonably a distraction — and the place one is on the mercy of quick dealers and sophistication motion complaints. … It’s like being within the public stockade by which they only throw tomatoes at you all day. SpaceX nonetheless permits liquidity, so each and every six months, there’s a liquidity tournament at SpaceX, and folks give you the chance to promote their stocks. And that’s labored really well for the whole thing of the corporate. So I feel one thing like that might make sense at Twitter. So it could nonetheless be inventory and choices and on a daily basis, and it could simply be liquidity occasions two times a 12 months.

Leslie Berland

Thank you. We’re getting some real-time comments at the far flung paintings questions, so I simply need to make sure that I keep on with up.

Elon Musk

Certain.

Leslie Berland

Your solution to far flung paintings and disbursed paintings. … What I’m listening to from you is that you’re supportive of far flung and disbursed paintings as it’s productive and significant. Folks display up when it’s essential, and relying on their jobs. Is that a correct mirrored image?

Elon Musk

The prejudice there certainly must be strongly towards operating in consumer. But when anyone is outstanding, then far flung paintings may also be ok. However mainly, if their paintings output is outstanding, then far flung paintings is okay. There may be some conversation affect that one takes when operating remotely as a result of in the event you’re with folks, and so they’re only some desks away, it’s really easy to keep up a correspondence in genuine time, but it surely’s a lot more difficult to do this in the event you’re in several bodily places. So I do need to emphasize that the unfairness may be very a lot towards in-person paintings. It’s simply that it could clearly be insane if somebody is very good at what they do however can simplest paintings remotely, to then hearth them despite the fact that they’re doing superb paintings. … So I’m certainly now not in prefer of items which might be mad. I’m in prefer of items that construct the trade and make it higher.

Leslie Berland

Thanks. Query about layoffs. We gained a number of questions from staff in this level. Clearly, they’ve learn concerning the fresh layoffs at Tesla. Are you able to discuss to the way you’re occupied with layoffs at Twitter?

Elon Musk

Neatly, I feel it relies on, you already know, the corporate does want to be — to get — wholesome. So I imply, at the moment, the prices exceed the earnings. In order that’s now not an ideal scenario to be in. And so there would must be some explanation of headcount and bills to have earnings be more than value. Another way, Twitter is just now not viable or can’t develop. So, yeah, I feel it could simply be depending on you already know, like I stated, any individual who’s clearly a vital contributor will have to don’t have anything to fret about. I don’t take movements that are disruptive to the well being of the corporate. So, you already know, yeah.

Leslie Berland

One query attached to that, as you’re clearly studying and gaining knowledge as we get nearer to this deal being closed. What do you’re feeling that you’ve got deep figuring out and clutch of? And what are the spaces that you’re feeling like you need to dive a lot more deeper on to grasp and be informed?

Elon Musk

Neatly, I indubitably, I imply, I’ve a robust, an ideal figuring out of the product as a result of I take advantage of Twitter on a daily basis, almost. And, you already know, I feel I’ve were given a truly excellent figuring out of the way Twitter works from a product viewpoint. What I’ve much less figuring out of is, you already know, like, this kind of bot unsolicited mail or multi-user account — mainly, anything else that has effects on the monetizable day by day person quantity, that’s most likely my greatest worry. As a result of that’s truly what drives promoting earnings, in addition to subscription earnings. And truly, Twitter’s earnings goes to be subscription, promoting — I feel funds can be a captivating factor to do, as neatly. However all of the ones issues are simplest related as a serve as of what number of distinctive people are at the machine. In order that’s my greatest worry. And that’s what I’ve stated publicly as neatly, like I stated, I you have to be as literal as imaginable, yeah.

Leslie Berland

And as we take into accounts, clearly, the product and the provider and serving shoppers everywhere in the global, obviously, it’s vital and existential for us to serve various communities. And all folks, as you stated previous. So inclusion, variety is clearly core and central to our paintings at Twitter, each our staff and the shoppers that we serve. You will have been vocal on quite a lot of other subjects and problems that relate to inclusion and variety. Are you able to discuss each your perspectives and in addition your dedication to making a various and inclusive place of business and in addition a provider the place everybody can really feel integrated and secure?

Elon Musk

Yeah, I imply, neatly, it’s, to be transparent, when speaking about Twitter as a complete, there’s 8 billion folks on this planet; I’m advised there’s 200 million day by day customers of Twitter. That’s a 7.8 billion-person hole. So I feel we truly need to have, I don’t know, a minimum of one billion folks on Twitter, possibly extra, as many of us as we will be able to perhaps get on Twitter. In order that, I feel, is probably the most inclusive definition of inclusiveness, similar to, all people. In order that’s essential. You realize, from an organization viewpoint, I consider in a kind of strict meritocracy, so no matter, you already know, whoever’s doing nice paintings, nice, they get extra accountability and authority. And that’s that.

Leslie Berland

And I do know you discussed in a few of our conversations about your I&D group at Tesla; now we have a terrific I&D group right here at Twitter as neatly. So proceed at the adventure in combination.

I need to discuss content material moderation, return to quite a lot of the issues that you just stated previous. So that is one I’ll take, I’ll take verbatim. So that you’ve spoken so much concerning the significance of loose speech. Let’s get started with the USA, the place now we have a robust custom round this. And also you touched in this previous, a large number of what’s referred to as lawful however terrible speech is permitted right here in the USA, proper? Animal abuse photos, doxxing, movies of sexual violence, and so forth. So permitting this kind of content material, clearly, may motive hurt, and make Twitter unusable for the extensive target audience that you just’re attempting to succeed in. What’s your solution to this kind of content material that’s criminal however problematic because it pertains to folks in truth the usage of the provider? How do you take into accounts this stress?

Elon Musk

As I stated previous, truly, I feel folks, we will have to permit folks to mention what they would like, publish what they would like, throughout the bounds of the regulation. However that’s other from them with the ability to achieve individuals who don’t need to be reached with that content material. So if that content material is offensive to folks, they’ll, the ones folks will merely prevent the usage of Twitter. So it’s essential to make Twitter as sexy as imaginable. And truly, that implies now not appearing folks content material that they’d to find hateful or offensive, and even frankly content material they’d to find uninteresting isn’t excellent. We don’t even need them to look uninteresting content material.

We have been speaking about TikTok remaining night time. And TikTok clearly does an ideal process of constructing certain you’re now not bored. I imply, it’s similar to ADD, however like subsequent stage — however TikTok does an ideal process of constructing you now not bored. I imply, I do to find probably the most movies offensive, I feel, however they’re now not uninteresting. So the oldsters — how can we be sure that folks have content material that they to find entertaining and tasty and engaging, such that they need to stay the usage of Twitter and use it extra. In order that’s, yeah, that’s what’s very important to the expansion of the provider.

Leslie Berland

Certainly one of our staff requested about individuals who use Twitter having the best and the power to clear out content material that they don’t need to see — I feel this will get to precisely what you’re pointing to.

Elon Musk

I imply, to be transparent, the usual is a lot more than now not offending folks. The usual is, will have to be, that they’re very entertained and knowledgeable. Like, you have to now not offend somebody, however you have to additionally bore them and display a number of content material that they don’t to find fascinating, after which they’ll now not use the provider or they’ll use it much less. In order that’s why I used the instance of TikTok, the place they only honed the set of rules to be as enticing as imaginable. And I feel we need to additionally hone it to be as enticing as imaginable, differently, I feel.

You realize, TikTok is fascinating, however, like, you need to learn about severe problems as neatly. And I feel Twitter, on the subject of severe problems, generally is a lot higher for informing folks about severe problems. I do you assume it’s essential that there be, you already know, if there are two facets to a subject, it’s essential to constitute a couple of critiques. However you already know, and simply make certain that we’re now not kind of riding narrative. Give folks a chance to grasp the quite a lot of facets of problems. Maximum problems on this planet are complicated. They don’t boil right down to a easy, “that is 100% excellent; that is 100% unhealthy.” So I feel it could be — we’d have a extra knowledgeable public — if folks have been introduced with a couple of facets to a subject.

Leslie Berland

One level I simply need to return to, at the regulation and the way that affects content material and moderation: As we predict globally all over the world, there are some international locations that experience rules that prohibit speech, and every now and then in truth use those rules to silence war of words with the federal government, and so forth. You have been speaking about other issues of view. So Twitter is traditionally excited about doing what we will be able to do to allow folks all over the place to have their voices. How do you take into accounts that because it pertains to, once more, just like the native rules and what that implies?

Elon Musk

Neatly, I’m in prefer of doing, of going, so far as the regulation will permit us. If the regulation will — if, say, Twitter staff would get arrested within the nation if we didn’t adhere to the regulation, then we clearly should adhere to the regulation or go out the rustic or one thing. So I imply, up to we will be able to allow folks to have a voice and to talk their thoughts, I feel we need to do this.

Leslie Berland

And I do know we mentioned this as neatly, remaining night time — concerning the groups doing this paintings and kind of your need to connect to the ones groups and perceive the place we’ve been, the place we’re, the place we’re going. And I feel that might be most often productive around the board, each techniques. Are we able to communicate in short about your political beliefs? How if in any respect do your political beliefs play into the management of the corporations that you just lately run? How wouldn’t it have an effect on Twitter, if in any respect?

Elon Musk

Neatly, my political beliefs, I feel, are reasonable, a minimum of as can be, you already know, as in the event you stated, like, what’s the heart of the standard distribution of political beliefs within the nation, I feel that’d be lovely just about the middle. You realize, I’ve voted Democrat, each and every election till this fresh one this week. After which I voted for Mayra Flores, who’s Republican. She’s Mexican American, and I believed a excellent candidate and price balloting for. However I, you already know, I’m in prefer of reasonable politics. However I’m permitting individuals who have fairly excessive perspectives to specific the ones perspectives throughout the bounds of the regulation. In order that’s, you already know, as I stated publicly, I feel if, let’s say, the a long way left 10 p.c and a long way proper 10 p.c have been similarly disillusioned on Twitter, then that might most likely be a excellent end result.

Leslie Berland

I need to simply discuss our trade for a minute. You’ve spoken about incentives that the trade creates for services and products like Twitter. What function does promoting play one day of your marketing strategy for the corporate?

Elon Musk

I feel promoting is essential for Twitter. So in terms of, say, Tesla or SpaceX, there’s little need for promoting for the reason that call for exceeds our manufacturing. So I imply, promoting is essentially a requirement generator, and also you sometimes need to get any other message in the market. However it’s essentially a requirement generator.

So for the reason that, at Tesla, call for is a long way in way over manufacturing, there’s little need for Tesla to put it up for sale. However, you already know, I’m now not towards promoting. I might most likely, I don’t know, need to communicate to the advertisers and say, like, “whats up, let’s simply make sure that the advertisements are as entertaining as imaginable.” I feel they’re simpler in the event that they’re entertaining. Like, you need not to be strident or spammy in an advert. After which, in fact, I don’t assume it’s excellent to permit promoting of any merchandise that are, you already know, unhealthy merchandise.

I used to be actually scammed. I purchased this factor off of a YouTube advert, and it doesn’t paintings. After which I Googled it and it’s like, oh, yeah, whenever you click on on the second one web page of Google seek effects, it’s like, yeah, this product utterly doesn’t paintings. It’s trash. And I’m like, neatly, why the hell is YouTube permitting promoting of scammy merchandise? That’s utterly now not cool. So I feel in case your promoting is entertaining, fascinating, it’s one thing you may in truth need, and the product can be, you already know, pleasing to the Twitter person, then I feel that’s nice promoting. So, yeah.

Leslie Berland

So we’re gonna cross over. Is that ok? Superior. Thanks. Are you able to communicate slightly bit about Twitter and funds? You discussed this a couple of occasions in several settings. I would like to grasp your considering there.

Elon Musk

Yeah. Your cash is basically a type of knowledge. It’s knowledge that permits us to switch services with no need to negotiate and permits folks to shift duties in time. However cash is essentially virtual at this level, and has been for some time. And PayPal, you already know, I feel it’s performed an ideal process at the funds entrance. I feel it could make sense to combine funds into Twitter in order that it’s simple to ship cash from side to side. And when you’ve got forex in addition to crypto. Necessarily, every time anyone would to find it helpful.

So my purpose can be to maximise the usefulness of the provider — the extra helpful it’s, the simpler. And if one can use it to make handy funds, that’s an building up in usefulness. Information, leisure, and funds, I feel, are like 3 vital spaces. However truly, it’s with regards to occupied with make this, make the usage of Twitter so compelling that you’ll be able to’t are living with out it and that everybody needs to make use of it.

Leslie Berland

I would like it to mention at the product. Once more, you probably did comment on this previous, but it surely’s a ordinary query across the authentication piece, you already know, on the subject of you’re announcing you need to authenticate all people, so simply to kind of double click on into that, you already know, balancing this with those that have the benefit of anonymity, proper, from a security point of view, particularly, for instance, human rights activists and marginalized communities. Are you able to simply explain, once more, discuss to that stress? And the way you take into accounts the ones phrases, particularly? Anonymity is kind of core to how folks use the provider.

Elon Musk

Yeah, I don’t assume it’s vital for somebody to make use of their genuine identify. So if one, say, does a payments-based authentication, I feel it will have to be ok not to use your genuine identify on Twitter. So Twitter would know who you might be, a minimum of from a cost viewpoint, however you should not have to state your genuine identify or anything else. That’s clearly essential, the place if somebody has other political beliefs from their supervisor, let’s say, then they don’t truly need to, you already know, get crosswise there. And so it could be higher for them to have a pseudonym on Twitter, however it could nonetheless be backend authenticated.

And prefer, at no level would I recommend that it’s a must to be authenticated as a way to use Twitter, it’s simply that it could be prioritizing authenticated feedback and movements on Twitter over unauthenticated as a way to struggle the bots and trolls. And necessarily, it must be a lot more pricey to have a troll military. While at the moment, it’s mainly very reasonably priced to have 100,000 pretend Twitter accounts.

Leslie Berland

You will have indubitably been very vocal on Twitter. You might be very vocal on Twitter. And steadily your tweets or even emojis create information cycles. You will have been additionally vital of the corporate on Twitter, which clearly affects quite a lot of discussions, conversations, and perceptions from whether or not it’s companions and even now staff. How do you take into accounts those tweets? Do you have a look at the response and take into accounts the response of those tweets? I’m simply curious concerning the considering in the back of the tweet, if you’re going to.

Elon Musk

Neatly, I feel that it could be useful, you already know — something about phrases is that it’s exhausting to put across tone. And so it’s imaginable for … Necessarily, folks will every now and then take the phrases after which think they have been stated in possibly an indignant manner or a vindictive manner or one thing like that. However, I imply, optimistically you’ll be able to inform my standard tone isn’t … I’m now not an indignant consumer. I nearly by no means elevate my voice. So like, in a 12 months, I would possibly now not have raised my voice. So this isn’t a, you already know … From time to time folks might assume, “oh, wow, he’s kind of yelling and screaming” or one thing, however I’m truly now not. So possibly there’s some approach to point out tone? I imply, emoji sorta do this. However I don’t know, possibly they might have like, I don’t know, a real understatement flag or one thing: That is an ironic tweet. One thing like that.

Leslie Berland

Pay attention, I feel Areas is a smart product for you as neatly. We even have voice tweets, which I don’t assume I’ve observed you utilize earlier than, however I feel that might upload kind of your literal voiceover and colour probably the most issues that you just tweet …

Elon Musk

Oh certain. Yeah possibly I may simply say it. Or you have to learn it, however then you’ll be able to additionally see how I might have stated it. Like, I’m wondering in the event you stated that during an indignant manner. After which you’ll be able to see how I in truth stated it.

Leslie Berland

Sure, completely, that’d be wonderful. I do know, now we have 10 extra mins, up on the hour, so I’m protecting you till then. Your function on the corporate — there’s been some dialogue about will you be CEO, will you now not be CEO? How are you able to discuss to this? And the way do you watch for your function influencing technique, day by day department?

Elon Musk

Neatly, I assume I’m now not hung up on titles, however I do need to power the product in a selected path. So, you already know, it might be like … I don’t truly care about being CEO. Actually, I renamed myself “Techno King” at Tesla in an authentic SEC submitting. So …

Leslie Berland

Sure, we noticed.

Elon Musk

After which our CFO was once renamed “Grasp of coin,” which I feel is a cooler factor than CFO. So, I imply, what I truly simply need do is, like, power the product and make stronger the product, after which it’s like, mainly, tool and product design. So you already know, I don’t thoughts doing different issues, you already know, associated with running the corporate, however there are chores. There’s a large number of chores to do as CEO. And all I truly need is to make certain that the product evolves abruptly and in a great way.

And I don’t truly care what the name is, however I do … Clearly, folks do want to concentrate to me. If I say, like, “Hiya, we want to make stronger the product and to find techniques and make the next adjustments, upload those options.” Then, you already know, I do be expecting that individuals concentrate to me, on this regard. I imply, that’s how I do it at SpaceX and Tesla. So you already know, I’m truly simply operating with engineering and manufacturing. And, like, it every now and then might appear that, wow, he’s truly in the market so much. However in truth, I’m now not. When you see what number of precise interviews I do, it’s reasonably a small quantity. However every time I do a tweet, they’ll make a whole, like, two-page article about it, you already know. So, I’m like, like, mainly get a long way fewer.

I’m in truth reasonably internally centered at SpaceX and Tesla, despite the fact that it would possibly not appear that manner. And it’s truly simply, you already know, evolving the rocket generation at SpaceX and offering international web with Starlink. After which at Tesla, it’s about accelerating sustainable power, you already know, electrical automobiles and desk bound battery packs and solar energy. And the elemental excellent of Tesla, I might say, is measured via what number of years boost up the arrival of sustainable power.

After which the overall purpose of SpaceX is, you already know, can we make lifestyles multiplanetary and thus make stronger the possible lifespan of awareness? Such as you’ve already stated, what’s the unifying philosophy for me? It’s, we will have to take the set of movements in all probability to increase the scope, scale, and lifespan of awareness as we comprehend it. What kind of movements make stronger issues at a civilizational stage and make stronger the possible lifespan of civilization? Civilization will come to an finish in the future, however let’s attempt to make it remaining so long as imaginable.

And it could be nice to grasp extra concerning the nature of the universe. Why we’re right here, which means of lifestyles, the place are issues going, the place we come from? Are we able to trip to different famous person methods and notice if there are alien civilizations? There could be a complete bunch of long-dead, one-planet civilizations in the market that existed 500 million years in the past. Consider the span of human civilization from the arrival of the primary writing, it’s simplest about 5,000 years.