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- Ross Gerber, a top Twitter and Tesla investor, isn't happy with Elon.
- He said Musk’s decision to give out free blue check was the beginning of Twitter's demise.
- Musk's new verification scheme caused chaos, and Musk made his comments after that.
Ross Gerber, a top Tesla and Twitter investor, said that the recent turmoil at Twitter may be the beginning of its demise.
Gerber is CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management. Insider reported that Musk's decision to give away free blue checks to certain users revealed the hypocrisy of the Twitter CEO, as he plans to replace an old verification system with a paid subscription service.
Twitter Blue subscriptions cost $8 per month. However, many celebrities and media organizations refuse to pay.
Twitter began its purge of blue checks on April 20, as Musk hoped to eliminate what he had previously called a "lords-and-peasants" system. The cull descended quickly into chaos when the return of blue checks to popular users caused scorn and frustration.
Gerber said that Elon "went out of his way" to insult those with blue checks, implying they were entitled famous people. He also implied the system he created was an egalitarian world where verification would be based on being you. And famous people wouldn't receive this free privilege.
He continued: "When he reversed his position, he looked like a complete hypocrite. And then the way that he did it made it even worse. Because he then gave it to people who had at least one hundred thousand followers."
Gerber claimed that the saga created a "class system" for Twitter, which Musk had said he wished to eliminate.
The investor said that Twitter had been further confused after blue checks were returned to several profiles of dead users. He said that the decision "makes absolutely no sense."
Gerber was vocally critical of Musk's Twitter reign, claiming that the billionaire's responsibilities were a distraction from his leadership of Tesla.
Last week, the EV maker put Wall Street on high alert after reporting its first-quarter results. Musk said he would make a big push to gain market share at the cost of short-term profit.
Musk didn't immediately respond to Insiders request for comment outside normal working hours. Twitter responded with an automated message.
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By: hchowdhury@insider.com (Hasan Chowdhury)
Title: Elon Musk’s blue-check saga marks the beginning of the end for Twitter, top Tesla investor says
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/tesla-investor-ross-gerber-blue-check-saga-twitter-2023-4
Published Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2023 11:56:22 +0000
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