In a candid revelation, a forthcoming biography of Elon Musk, written by Walter Isaacson, sheds light on a pivotal dinner meeting between Musk and then-Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal in March 2022. The book, titled “Elon Musk,” set to be published on September 12, reveals Musk’s perspective on Agrawal’s leadership abilities and the events leading up to Musk’s acquisition of Twitter.
A Meeting of Minds and Discord: According to Isaacson’s account, Musk and Agrawal met secretly alongside Twitter’s board chair at the time, Bret Taylor, in March 2022, just before Musk’s $44 billion deal to acquire Twitter became public knowledge. Following the dinner, Musk described Agrawal as a “really nice guy.” However, he expressed reservations about Agrawal’s leadership qualities, stating that what Twitter needed was a “fire-breathing dragon,” a characteristic he believed Agrawal lacked.
Cordial Messages Turned Tense: In a surprising turn of events, private messages between Musk and Agrawal, which surfaced as part of a lawsuit filed by Twitter against Musk in July 2022, showed a seemingly cordial exchange. Agrawal messaged Musk shortly after their dinner, expressing his desire to chat, to which Musk responded positively. This amicable tone, however, quickly shifted in April when Musk publicly questioned if “Twitter was dying.”
The Twitter Takeover Drama: Agrawal and Musk engaged in a public spat, with Musk expressing his lack of confidence in Twitter’s management, including Agrawal. Musk made a $54.20 per share cash offer to buy Twitter, exacerbating the tensions between the two.
Twitter’s Transformation and Musk’s Departure: Eventually, in October, a deal was struck to take Twitter private, with Musk emerging victorious. One of his initial actions as owner was to dismiss Parag Agrawal from his position as CEO. This move was met with legal action, as Agrawal, Twitter’s ex-CFO Ned Segal, and former legal chief Vijaya Gadde sued Twitter for $1 million in unpaid bills.
Twitter’s Rebranding: In a surprising twist, Musk rebranded Twitter as “X” in July and announced his intention to bid farewell to “all the birds,” referring to Twitter’s iconic bird logo.
The publication of Walter Isaacson’s biography promises to offer an intriguing behind-the-scenes look at the turbulent events that preceded Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter and the dramatic changes that followed.
