Time gives everyone time to reflect, and after a tumultuous 2022, it seems Elon Musk has had time to just that.
The Tesla CEO half-joked in 2022 that he would buy Twitter, his favorite social media platform. But after Twitter execs called his bluff, Musk was forced to purchase the company for $44 billion despite attempting to pull out of the deal.
Fast forward to 2023, and one Twitter user, also reflecting, mused on the platform "haha I still can't believe Elon bought Twitter."
To which Musk replied, "Me neither," adding he regretted selling so much Tesla stock to do so.
Musk officially purchased Twitter on Oct. 27 for $44 billion and immediately began making wholesale changes, including laying off about half of the company's employees.
"Going forward, to build a breakthrough Twitter 2.0 and succeed in an increasingly competitive world, we will need to be extremely hardcore. This will mean working long hours at high intensity. Only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade," the billionaire wrote.
"If you are sure that you want to be part of the new Twitter, please click yes on the link below," he continued. "Anyone who has not done so by 5pm ET tomorrow (Thursday) will receive three months of severance."
Musk's Dwindling Fortune
Before he purchased Twitter, and before Tesla's stock cratered, Musk was easily the richest person in the world.
But in 2022, Musk's fortune fell by $182 billion, setting an all-time record, according to Guinness World Records.
Musk's losses might be as high as $200 billion according to other sources, the organization said.
Musk's fortune fell from a high of $320 billion in 2021 to $138 billion as of January 2023 due to the massive losses of Tesla's stock according to Forbes.
While Tesla shares are still well off of their all-time highs, the stock has had a strong start to 2023, rising nearly 77% year-to-date.
