One of Elon Musk’s top lieutenants has reportedly promised a notorious right-wing provocateur that his Twitter ban will be lifted “soon”.
Jared Birchall, who runs Musk’s personal investment office and was a top advisor on his $44 billion Twitter acquisition, made the promise in a text message to activist Charles C. Johnson, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Johnson is a self-proclaimed investigative journalist who became famous for his internet pranks and campaigns against left-wing activists, politicians and reporters. Critics call him a “digital Darth Vader” and the “Troll King”.
He was banned from Twitter in 2015 for sending a fundraiser to support the “takedown” of Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson, who called the remark a “serious threat” and called for Johnson to be banned from the platform.
Johnson insisted he used the term “take out” to refer to his plans to dig up dirt on McKesson, but Twitter sided with the BLM activist and banned Johnson under its policy against targeted harassment.
Jared Birchall, who runs Musk’s personal investment office and was a top advisor on his $44 billion Twitter acquisition, made the promise in a text message to “troll king” Charles C. Johnson
Johnson was banned from Twitter in 2015 for sending a fundraiser in support of the “takedown” of Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson, who was arrested above at a 2016 protest
The case became an early example of the social media site’s policy of cracking down on controversial content that critics argue is biased against conservatives.
According to the Journal Birchall, when Johnson saw Musk’s recent offer to buy Twitter, he texted him, “When do I get my Twitter account back?”
“Hopefully soon,” Birchall reportedly replied.
Johnson told the newspaper that while he wants to regain his account, he has no plans to return to regular tweeting, saying, “I’m over Twitter.”
Birchall did not immediately respond to a request for comment from on Saturday morning.
The wealth manager, a 47-year-old married father of five, has worked for Musk since 2016 and helps manage a fortune valued at around $240 billion.
Birchall runs what he calls Musk’s “Family Office,” a private wealth management advisory firm that serves high net worth individuals.
Critics call Johnson a “digital Darth Vader” and the right-wing “troll king” of the internet
Birchall is also CEO of Musk’s brain-chip company Neuralink, a director at Musk’s tunneling company The Boring Company, and a board member of the billionaire’s philanthropic private foundation.
The Journal’s new report also reveals details about Musk’s close relationship with Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and hints that the iconoclast billionaire wants to reinstate Donald Trump’s Twitter account.
Musk remains dismayed that Trump remains banned from the platform after Twitter accused him of inciting violence in the immediate aftermath of the US Capitol riots, people who spoke with Musk recently told the Journal.
Trump, who recently launched his own social media service, Truth Social, has claimed he would not return to Twitter even if his ban were lifted.
Dorsey, who was then CEO of Twitter, is said to have initially opposed Trump’s ban in early 2021, but backed down in the face of urging from other executives.
Musk remains dismayed that Trump remains banned from Twitter, people close to him say
Former Twitter execs told the Journals that in 2020, they became aware of Dorsey’s budding friendship with Musk.
A former Twitter executive said Dorsey sometimes seemed to withdraw from meetings because he texted Musk throughout the workday.
“Elon is the unique solution that I trust,” Dorsey tweeted on April 25, the day Twitter accepted Mr. Musk’s offer. “I trust his mission to expand the light of consciousness.”
If Musk goes through with his takeover bid, Dorsey will take home nearly $1 billion for his Twitter stake.
Meanwhile, in an emergency session on Friday, Twitter officials opened up about Elon Musk’s deal to acquire the company for $44 billion, accusing the world’s richest man of bigotry and fret over possible job cuts once the deal is finalized.
Staffers at the “impromptu” meeting with everyone involved directed angry questions at executives, including CEO Parag Agrawal, who insiders described as tired and at times annoyed.
A Twitter spokeswoman reached by on Saturday morning declined to comment on the meeting.
A former Twitter exec said Jack Dorsey (above) sometimes seems to withdraw from meetings because he texted Musk during the workday
The Twitter headquarters can be seen in San Francisco. Twitter employees expressed fears of upcoming layoffs at a staff meeting on Friday afternoon
A staffer at the meeting described Musk as anti-gay and anti-transgender and expressed concern that his ownership would hamper efforts to recruit new staff.
“What are we going to say to the LGTBQ community at recruitment conferences we’re lining up for when they ask us why they should work at Twitter when we’ve just sold ourselves to an openly homophobe and transphobe?” asked staff member Dalana Brand, chief People and Diversity Officer of Twitter.
Brand diplomatically avoided agreeing with Musk’s assessment, replying, “I cannot speak to Elon’s personal feelings on these matters. I can’t speak to what he’s done at his other companies in terms of people’s experiences.’
“Maybe we can talk in the future. That can be revealing,” she added.
Twitter employees also expressed fears about upcoming layoffs. Musk has reportedly vowed to cut executive salaries after the takeover, but a source said he won’t make decisions about job cuts until he takes ownership.
An employee, described as “angry and disappointed,” addressed Agrawal on the issue in a question read during the meeting.
“I’m tired of hearing about shareholder value and fiduciary duty. What are your honest thoughts on the very high probability that many employees will be out of a job after signing the contract?’ asked the employee.
Agrawal responded that Twitter has always cared about its employees and will continue to do so, but did not deny the possibility of layoffs.
“Different organizations have different cultures, but they excelled,” he said. “It will be different here than today, but for the people who are here, it will be worth being here.”
“I believe that the future Twitter organization will continue to care about its impact on the world and its customers,” he said.