Musk Celebrates New Twitter Usage High as Engineers Flee Company

(Bloomberg) — Twitter Inc. owner Elon Musk tweeted out an upbeat message saying the company beat its all-time high in usage late Thursday, on a day when many employees decided to leave the company.

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It was the second time in a week that the social network set a record, according to Musk, who said it hit its highest-ever number of daily active users on Nov. 11. In another message posted this week, the billionaire — who hasn’t given himself a specific job title at Twitter after adopting “chief Twit” and “complaint hotline operator” briefly — posted a chart showing user numbers rising since his acquisition. Musk has long disputed the accuracy of Twitter’s internal metrics, saying they are unreliable due to an overabundance of fake or bot accounts.

Earlier on Thursday, Twitter decided to abruptly shut its offices after many employees reacted negatively to Musk’s ultimatum of either staying for a new “hardcore” work environment or leaving with three months’ severance. So many employees decided to take severance that it created a cloud of confusion over which people should still have access to company property, Bloomberg News reported.

Musk ‘Hardcore’ Ultimatum Spurs Exodus, With Twitter at Risk

Uncertainty hangs over Twitter’s ability to continue normal operations after the company dismissed its executive team and laid off half the workforce in Musk’s first few days in charge. The new leader has since reversed several decisions he’s made, including recalling some laid-off staff who were working on features he wanted to add. Musk has also equivocated about Twitter’s “Official” label attached to accounts of recognized public entities or companies. His signature $8 Blue Verified subscription offering has been delayed to Nov. 29 “to make sure that it is rock solid,” Musk said.