Chapter 170

Musk faces mounting crises at Twitter: an advertising boycott sparks his authoritarian outbursts, the rushed Twitter Blue verification system launches and immediately spawns impersonation chaos, Apple's payment policies undermine the service's business model, and a dire financial picture forces harsh office-return mandates. These cascading disasters culminate in the resignation of content chief Yoel Roth and Musk's admission of deep regret over the acquisition.

As the advertising exodus accelerates following activist-led boycotts, Musk enters "demon mode" and orders Yoel Roth to ban users calling for advertiser boycotts—a demand Roth resists as both illegal and counterproductive. Roth consults with Robin Wheeler, and Musk abruptly abandons the directive after switching topics, a pattern Birchall later explains as ignorable rage that passes. Musk pursues Twitter Blue, a paid verification system designed to reduce bot farms and create revenue while collecting user financial data. When rolling out on November 9, the feature immediately becomes a disaster: imposters with blue checks impersonate major companies (Eli Lilly, Coca-Cola, Tesla), triggering stock price drops and widespread mockery. Musk suspends the feature after two days. Simultaneously, Twitter faces catastrophic finances—over $12 billion in debt and a projected $2 billion cash shortfall—prompting Musk to sell $4 billion in Tesla stock and demand office attendance (reversing permanent remote work) with threats of termination. Roth discovers Apple refuses to share user data or credit card information with third parties, fatally undermining Twitter Blue's core business logic. When Musk dismissively suggests calling Tim Cook to "fix" Apple's privacy policies, Roth recognizes the impossibility and resigns while Musk addresses employees, departing before security can escort him out. Musk attempts reconciliation through Birchall, offering Roth a chance to reconsider, but Roth declines, fearing Musk's public attacks would endanger his safety given his previous threats. Two weeks into ownership, Musk confesses to Tesla's design team that he regrets the acquisition, admitting the judge essentially forced him to buy Twitter and describing the company's culture as far worse than imagined.