In July 2023, Twitter’s headquarters on Market Street faced significant changes as owner Elon Musk initiated a rebranding effort, transforming the company into “X.” The plan involved removing the Twitter sign from the historic building’s facade as a symbolic end to the old identity. However, in typical Musk fashion, none of this had been cleared with the city beforehand, resulting in confusion and temporary intervention by the San Francisco Police Department.
The rebranding process has been seen as more than just a simple business transaction. Observers questioned the motives behind Musk’s $44 billion investment in Twitter, considering that he seemed uninterested in traditional assets such as employees, code, or the brand itself. Instead, Musk’s actual project appeared to be an act of cultural vandalism, driven by his characteristic indifference to authority and industry norms.
The transformation of Twitter into “X” went beyond just changing the name and logo. Musk’s vision for the platform was grandiose, with ambitions of turning it into a “super app” akin to WeChat, powered by AI and ensuring the future of civilization. However, underlying this vision was a reactionary drive to purge what he perceived as “woke” and entitled employees and shift the company’s focus and wealth towards right-wing users. This ideological approach led to a hollowing out of the free product and an inversion of industry standards for content moderation.
The rebranding effort also faced challenges. When attempting to remove the Twitter sign from the building’s facade, the demolition crew faced intervention from the police due to the lack of permits and safety precautions. Despite this, part of the sign was removed, leaving the building marked with “er,” causing some passersby to refer to it by that name.
Musk’s fascination with the letter “X” extended beyond the Twitter rebranding. He had renamed the corporate entity to X Corp and even named one of his children “X.” His unconventional approach to business and branding, including graffitiing 420s and 69s on corporate filings, was seen as reflective of his delight in erasing and transforming established norms.
Ultimately, Musk’s project to rebrand Twitter into “X” was not solely about creating a new platform or maximizing profits; it was an extended act of cultural vandalism driven by his unique vision and ideology. The rebranding marked the vanquishing of the old Twitter, and the giant “X” sign installed on top of the building symbolized this transformation.
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References
(1) https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/24/23140317/twitter-sign-sf-hq-removal-demolition-police
(2) https://www.timesunion.com/business/article/x-logo-installed-atop-twitter-building-18267389.php
(3) https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/police-halt-removal-twitter-sign-company-hq-elon-musk-rebrands-x-rcna96166
