Musk to face Twitter employees at meeting

WASHINGTON: Billionaire Elon Musk will address Twitter employees at a meeting this week, the company confirmed Tuesday, in a first since launching his troubled $44 billion bid for the social media platform.

The meeting is set for Thursday and comes as Musk is in a standoff with Twitter’s leadership over the service’s user numbers that have put the buyout in doubt.

Twitter, referring to the gathering, said: "We can confirm this is true and happening."

Since Musk’s takeover move became public in April, Twitter has been roiled by uncertainty over its future but also by concerns about being led by the mercurial Tesla chief.

Musk has advocated a less restrictive approach to what users can post on Twitter and is on record saying he would lift the ban the platform slapped on former US president Donald Trump — a highly polarizing decision.

The idea of Musk taking over Twitter has also stoked protest from critics who warn his stewardship will embolden hate groups and disinformation campaigns.

Musk has threatened to withdraw his bid, accusing Twitter of failing to provide data on fake accounts, but the company has since reportedly agreed to provide him access.

Some observers have seen Musk’s questioning of Twitter bots as a means to end the takeover process or to pressure Twitter into lowering the price.