Musk unlikely to fade into background by not joining Twitter board

In a stream of posts, some of which have been deleted, Musk flagged a number of potential changes to the platform. As is often the case with the Tesla chief executive, it was hard to separate visionary business guidance from mischief.

The reference to corporate mortality is typical Musk hyperbole, but he was voicing fears over growth that are thrown into stark relief by the march of rivals like TikTok.

Mindful of competition and investor impatience, Twitter has been making changes over the past year. As well as exploring ways of making the site less confrontational, it has introduced new features like Twitter Blue, its $2.99-a-month premium service that gives users a 30 second window to edit tweets before they appear online. Blue is available in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Elson added that Musk, Twitter account at the ready, would remain highly influential outside the boardroom regardless.