Last year, Elon Musk assumed control of X, formerly known as Twitter, through a historic $44 billion deal. One of his initial actions involved a significant overhaul of X’s top leadership, which resulted in the removal of then-CEO Parag Agrawal and others, including Vijaya Gadde. Until recently, the reasons behind Musk’s decision to part ways with Agrawal had remained undisclosed. However, Musk’s forthcoming biography, authored by Walter Isaacson and titled ‘Elon Musk,’ provides insight into this matter. According to the biography, Musk was seeking a dynamic and assertive leader to guide Twitter, a role he believed Parag Agrawal did not fit.
Scheduled for release on September 12, coinciding with the launch of the new iPhone 15 series, ‘Elon Musk’ delves into the life of the billionaire entrepreneur behind numerous successful ventures, including SpaceX. It explores his journey to acquire and manage X (Twitter).
As reported by The Wall Street Journal, an excerpt from the biography reveals Musk’s candid opinions about Parag Agrawal, both before and after assuming control of Twitter. In the book, Musk is quoted as saying, “He is a really nice guy, but managers should not aim to be liked. What Twitter needs is a bold and assertive leader, and Parag is not that.”
Upon taking on the role of X’s new CEO in 2022, humorously labeling himself as the ‘chief twit,’ Musk openly criticized X’s prior efforts to curtail free speech on the platform. He even humorously remarked that the ‘bird is liberated’ following his Twitter acquisition and the departure of Parag Agrawal and other members of the leadership team.
Notably, Walter Isaacson, the author of the biography, had been accompanying Musk to X headquarters for some time. On October 27, 2022, Isaacson posted on X, “At the Twitter headquarters’ coffee bar, @elonmusk,” and has since shared a series of content related to Musk on the platform. Isaacson is renowned for his biographies of highly successful individuals, including Apple founder Steve Jobs.
Subsequent to Parag Agrawal’s departure, Musk took charge as X’s CEO and made a series of decisions, some of which stirred controversy, while others garnered positive feedback from users. It was only in June that Musk appointed Linda Yaccarino, a former NBCUniversal executive, as the new CEO of X.