Elon Musk launched a poll on Sunday asking Twitter users whether they want him to resign as the platform’s CEO. He also urged everyone to exercise caution, as they could end up getting what they want.
“Should I step down as head of Twitter? I will abide by the results of this poll,” he tweeted. According to the poll’s final results, 57.5% have said yes, and 42.5% no. Over 17.5 million votes have been cast in the poll.
Musk did not offer any details on when he would resign or who might take his place. However, in a follow-up post, he indicated that he was serious about the potential change. “As the saying goes, be careful what you wish, as you might get it.”
He also said, “no one wants the job who can actually keep Twitter alive. There is no successor.”
In recent weeks, after completing a $44 billion deal to acquire the social media company, Musk has frequently asked Twitter users to vote on a range of issues, including lifting the ban on former US President Donald Trump’s account, as well as unblocking a number of high-profile journalists who violated the platform’s ‘doxing’ policies by sharing data on Musk’s location. In both cases, users voted to remove the bans, and Musk followed through.
On Sunday, Twitter said it would block users for posting links to rival social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. After massive public backlash, Musk clarified that the new policy would be “adjusted,” and that suspensions would only be applied “when that account’s primary purpose is promotion of competitors, which essentially falls under the no spam rule.”
“Going forward, there will be a vote for major policy changes. My apologies. Won’t happen again,” he said.