NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Business

Elon Musk no longer joining Twitter board, CEO Parag Agrawal confirms

By Jessica Wang
news.com.au·
11 Apr, 2022 05:58 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Tesla and SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk. Photo / AP

Tesla and SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk. Photo / AP

In a sudden switch, it appears Elon Musk will no longer join the Twitter board following his 9.2 per cent purchase into the company's shares.

The tech billionaire was reportedly offered a position on the board of directors under the condition he would not be allowed to acquire more than 14.9 per cent of Twitter's stocks until his term ends in 2024. Effectively preventing a buyout, Musk could technically pursue a more aggressive buyout now that he's declined his board position.

Elon has decided not to join our board. I sent a brief note to the company, sharing with you all here. pic.twitter.com/lfrXACavvk

— Parag Agrawal (@paraga) April 11, 2022

According to Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, the decision was made by the Tesla and SpaceX CEO on April 9 - the day his board appointment was set to become official.

"We announced on Tuesday that Elon would be appointed to the Board contingent on a background check and formal acceptance," Mr Agrawal wrote in a company email.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I believe this is for the best. We have and will always value input from our shareholders whether they are on our Board or not.

"Elon is our biggest shareholder and we will remain open to his input."

Without any context, Musk tweeted a single emoji of a face with a hand covering its mouth, seemingly poking fun at the breaking news.

This comes as Musk quizzed his Twitter followers on which updates and new features they'd like to see on the social media platform. Some of them include an 'edit button,' to an authentication 'checkmark' and no ads for Twitter Blue members.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Currently, Twitter Blue costs Kiwi members $4.49 a month and gives them access to 'reader mode,' an undo tweet function and access to bookmark folders.

His latest was an outlandish ploy to convert Twitter's San Francisco headquarters into a "homeless shelter since no one shows up anyway".

Responding to his backhanded poll, 91.3 per cent of the poll's 1,900,388 selected 'yes', while the remaining 8.7 per cent reported 'no'.

The post even got a response from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos who advised Musk to follow a "portioned" approach.

"Worked out great and makes it easy for employees who want to volunteer," he tweeted.

Musk also responded, writing: "Great idea".

Or do portion. Worked out great and makes it easy for employees who want to volunteer. https://t.co/r0dZWsMxWT https://t.co/NbUNl1bkJ3

— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) April 10, 2022

The subtle jab at Twitter employees comes as the tech company's workers reported a mixed-reaction to Musk's buy-in.

According to Reuters, some workers feared his appointment could loosen the platform's "hard-won" moderation policies. Others said Musk's history of attacking trans rights and controversial take on Covid-19 lockdowns was not aligned to Twitter's inclusive corporate culture.

"Some people are dusting off their resumes," one unnamed employee told Reuters. "I don't want to work for somebody (like Musk)."

Another worker told The Washington Post that Musk's current Twitter activity made him unsuitable to be a board member.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Quick question: If an employee tweeted some of the things Elon tweets, they'd likely be the subject of an HR complaint", one employee wrote in an internal Slack channel.

"Are board members held to the same standard?"

In light of the outcry, Twitter's current CEO Parag Agrawal organised an 'ask me anything' session with the billionaire, The Washington Post first reported.

"Following our board announcement, many of you have had different types of questions about Elon Musk, and I want to welcome you to ask those questions to him," read an email between Agrawal and Twitter's employees.

However, it's unknown if a similar meeting will now ahead given Musk's reversal.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Business

Premium
Opinion

Mary Holm: Embracing non-financial investments for a happier retirement

20 Jun 05:00 PM
Premium
Opinion

Bridget Snelling: How financial education can transform NZ's small-business landscape

20 Jun 03:00 AM
Premium
Media Insider

Court writer: Polkinghorne pitches his own book; TVNZ v Sky in Olympics showdown

20 Jun 01:00 AM

Audi offers a sporty spin on city driving with the A3 Sportback and S3 Sportback

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Business

Premium
Mary Holm: Embracing non-financial investments for a happier retirement

Mary Holm: Embracing non-financial investments for a happier retirement

20 Jun 05:00 PM

OPINION: Developing hobbies and exercising are part of a fulfilling retirement.

Premium
Bridget Snelling: How financial education can transform NZ's small-business landscape

Bridget Snelling: How financial education can transform NZ's small-business landscape

20 Jun 03:00 AM
Premium
Court writer: Polkinghorne pitches his own book; TVNZ v Sky in Olympics showdown

Court writer: Polkinghorne pitches his own book; TVNZ v Sky in Olympics showdown

20 Jun 01:00 AM
Premium
'Māori are long-term investors' - learning from success and failure working with iwi

'Māori are long-term investors' - learning from success and failure working with iwi

20 Jun 12:00 AM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP