The book “Battle for the Bird” by Bloomberg’s Kurt Wagner unveils the intriguing backstory leading to Elon Musk‘s acquisition of Twitter.
The book narrates the journey of Twitter from its inception by Jack Dorsey to becoming a private company under Musk.
At the heart of Musk’s decision to buy Twitter was his irritation with the @ElonJet account, managed by University of Central Florida student Jack Sweeney, according to a revealing excerpt from the book shared by Bloomberg.
This account, which tracked Musk’s private jet movements using public data, reportedly became a thorn in Musk’s side.
Despite Musk’s complaints, then-CEO Parag Agrawal refused to shut down the account, setting the stage for Musk’s eventual takeover. This pivotal moment is detailed in Wagner’s book.
“Musk unsuccessfully petitioned Agrawal to remove a Twitter account tracking his private plane,” Wagner wrote. “The billionaire started buying Twitter shares shortly after Agrawal denied his request.”
Despite his proclaimed dedication to free speech, Musk’s acquisition of Twitter for $44 billion in October 2022 quickly led to the suspension of the @ElonJet account and legal threats against Sweeney, who had to adjust his posting strategy.
The book also sheds light on Musk’s tumultuous tenure at Twitter, highlighting his swift actions against Agrawal and significant layoffs within the company.