Elon Musk Publicly Mocks Twitter Employee Over Employment Status

On Monday night, Tesla CEO Elon Musk publicly mocked a Twitter employee who was unsure of his employment status at the company. Haraldur Thorleifsson, an Iceland-based senior director for Twitter, had tweeted at Musk that access to his work computer had been cut off nine days earlier. Thorleifsson said he had been working for Twitter since its 2021 acquisition of Ueno, a business he founded.

Musk responded by asking Thorleifsson, “what work have you been doing?” Thorleifsson provided a list of his tasks, but Musk appeared to cast doubt on several of them. Thorleifsson also said his emails to company representatives regarding his employment status had gone unanswered, and the head of human resources was “not able to confirm if I am an employee or not.”

The incident has sparked a debate about how employers should handle employee uncertainty in the wake of layoffs. It has also raised questions about how employers should interact with employees on social media.

Thorleifsson’s tweet has been met with an outpouring of support from Twitter users, many of whom have expressed sympathy for his situation. Many have also criticized Musk for his dismissive attitude towards Thorleifsson and his disability.

The incident highlights the importance of employers being transparent and communicative with their employees, especially during times of uncertainty. It also serves as a reminder of the need for employers to treat their employees with respect, regardless of the medium.