Elon Musk Breaks Silence After Poll Votes in Favor of His Resignation as Twitter CEO

Elon Musk's Twitter profile on a smartphone placed on printed Twitter logos on April 28, 2022. Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters

Elon Musk has taken to Twitter for the first time to address a poll he conducted on the platform that found users voted overwhelmingly in favor of him stepping down as Twitter’s chief executive.

The billionaire businessman had promised to “abide by” the results of the poll, which closed at about 6:20 a.m. ET time on Dec. 19, with final results showing that 57.5 percent voted in favor of Musk departing the role.

Replying to one Twitter user who questioned whether the result of the poll may have been shaped by fake accounts or bots on the platform, Musk responded: “Interesting.”

In another tweet by a user who suggested that “Blue subscribers should be the only ones that can vote in policy-related polls,” Musk replied: “Good point. Twitter will make that change.”

Musk stopped short of directly speaking about the results of the poll and what his next actions will be. As the majority owner of the privately held company, Musk cannot be forced out of Twitter.

The businessman launched the Twitter poll asking whether he should “step down as head of Twitter” on Dec. 18, shortly after Twitter announced another new update to its policy; the latest since Musk took over in October.

Twitter Makes U-turn on New Policy

Under the new policy, Twitter said it would no longer allow for “free promotion” of certain social media platforms on the site via URL links. The third-party social media platforms included Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, Truth Social, Tribel, Nostr, and Post.

However, Musk later relaxed the new policy amid public outcry.

During a discussion with Box CEO Aaron Levie and news and content organization The Quartering, who had denounced the new policy, Musk said it was “reasonable” that some Twitter users might want to link to their Instagram profiles to promote their own businesses and as such, the policy would be adjusted to suspending accounts only when that account’s primary purpose is to promote social media competitors of Twitter instead.

That falls under Twitter’s no spam rule, according to Musk.

“Going forward, there will be a vote for major policy changes. My apologies. Won’t happen again,” Musk said in a later tweet following the loosening of the new policy.

Musk has conducted a number of polls on Twitter in recent months, including one that asked users whether or not former President Donald Trump should be reinstated on the platform. Musk later welcomed Trump back to the social media platform following the results of the poll, although the former president is yet to post anything on there.

Musk’s Twitter Poll Sparks Backlash

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting with the U.S. secretary of state in Kyiv on Sept. 8, 2022. Genya Savilov/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Another poll run by Musk in October sparked controversy as the billionaire proposed four ways to facilitate peace in Ukraine amid its invasion by Russian forces.

The poll offered proposals that included a “redo of elections in annexed regions under UN supervision,” under which “Russia leaves if that is the will of the people,” reaffirming Crimea as a formal part of Russia “as it has been since 1783,” assuring water supply to Crimea, and having Ukraine remain neutral.

The poll received 59.1 percent “no” votes, compared to 40.9 percent “yes” votes but sparked fierce criticism from Ukrainian officials, including Mikhail Podolyan, an adviser to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy, who questioned if Musk was “trying to legitimize pseudo-referendums that took place at gunpoint under conditions of persecution, mass executions, and torture.”

Zelenskyy also took to Twitter to launch his own poll, asking the public, “Which Elon Musk do you like more?” “One who supports Ukraine” or “One who supports Russia.”

Musk later stated that he still “very much” supports Ukraine but is convinced that “massive escalation of the war will cause great harm to Ukraine and possibly the world.”