Topline
Twitter suspended the account tracking the whereabouts of the private jet belonging to its billionaire CEO and owner Elon Musk on Wednesday—just a month after Musk promised the account was safe.
Musk’s two-month tenure as Twitter CEO has been eventful.
Key Facts
“Well it appears @ElonJet is suspended,” Jack Sweeney, the 20-year-old college student running the account with hundreds of thousands of followers, acknowledged Wednesday morning shortly after other users noticed the ban.
It’s unclear what caused the suspension, and the account page simply says @ElonJet violated Twitter’s rules.
But it’s a major surprise coming from Musk, who acquired Twitter for $44 billion this year and vowed to strip the platform of most content restrictions.
Musk specifically said the @ElonJet account was safe November 6, writing, “My commitment to free speech extends even to not banning the account following my plane, even though that is a direct personal safety risk.”
Sweeney, Musk and Twitter did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.
Forbes Valuation
Musk is worth $176.8 billion, according to our estimates, a 45% dip from his $320 billion net worth in November 2021. He is the second-wealthiest man in the world, losing his mantle as the richest person on earth last week.
Key Background
Musk is the CEO of three multibillion-dollar companies, Twitter, Tesla and SpaceX, despite claiming he has no desire to lead any company. His tumbling fortune is mostly due to Tesla’s dismal 2022, with its shares down 69% year to date thanks in large part to investors’ concerns about Musk dedicating too much of his time to his new plaything, Twitter. The proliferation of hate speech on Twitter since Musk’s takeover and subsequent reinstatement of most previously banned accounts has led major advertisers like Audi, Pfizer and Chipotle to pull out from the platform, fueling concerns about how Twitter can boost profits with dwindling ad dollars.
Surprising Fact
Sweeney said in January that Musk offered him $5,000 to take down the account.
Further Reading
Famous Private Jet Owners—And The 20-Year-Old Student Who Tracks Their Every Move (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/12/14/twitter-suspends-account-tracking-elon-musks-private-jet/