• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
NewslettersThe Modern Board

Elon Musk joining Twitter’s board may be a risky play for the social platform

By
Aman Kidwai
Aman Kidwai
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aman Kidwai
Aman Kidwai
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 8, 2022, 8:52 AM ET

Elon Musk joined the board of Twitter on Tuesday shortly after he became the company’s largest shareholder, with a 9.2% stake. While Twitter’s stock had its largest one-day rise ever, following news of Musk’s board appointment, the company has now introduced some risk and tension to the organization.

Musk is the only individual investor among Twitter’s top 10 shareholders, and while its founder Jack Dorsey is still a board member, he holds just a 2% stake in the company. Though Musk has been largely critical of the platform, Dorsey tweeted on Tuesday, “I’ve wanted Elon on the board for a long time.” In true Musk fashion, the eccentric billionaire said he’s looking forward to making “significant improvements to Twitter” in coming months, later tweeting a joke about him smoking at the next board meeting.

Dan Ives, a Wedbush Securities analyst, told MarketWatch that Twitter essentially had two options: be hostile or embrace Musk. “I think that is the smart strategy, rather than going after this in a hostile way that would not end well.”

Musk’s addition to Twitter’s board will certainly bring technology and engineering expertise, but it’s also likely to come with challenges for the social platform’s board directors and corporate leaders.

Eroding employee trust

Employees have expressed concern over Musk’s appointment to Twitter’s board, citing anti-transgender memes he’s shared on Twitter and his criticism of COVID-19 prevention measures as a threat to company culture. Some employees have also noted that Twitter’s board is more involved in the company’s day-to-day operations than at other tech companies, meaning Musk, a “free speech absolutist,” is likely to wield heavier influence than a typical board member.

Bad publicity

Twitter users, including some politicians ,are campaigning for Musk to reinstate former president Donald Trump on the platform. Though Twitter has denied any imminent changes on that front, Sam Abuelsamid, a Guidehouse Insights analyst who covers Musk’s leadership at Tesla, told Reuters, “​​I wouldn’t be surprised if Twitter restores Trump’s account now that Elon owns nearly 10% of the company.” Twitter said it permanently suspended Trump in January 2021 “due to the risk of further incitement of violence” following the events of January 6th.

Regulatory trouble

Musk’s tweets have repeatedly landed him in hot water, leading to SEC investigations and fines. The disclosure of his stake in Twitter may lead to further punitive action; he initially disclosed a passive stake before changing his status to an active investor, and did not file the disclosure within 10 days of making the stock purchase, per SEC rules.

“I can only imagine what Twitter will have to contend with,” Elliot Schreiber, a former communications executive at DuPont, Bayer, and Nortel Networks and professor at Florida Atlantic University, tells Modern Board. “The Tesla board has had difficulty controlling Musk and his comments have caused them some embarrassment. Now, he has a broader platform not only as a board member but more so as a large investor. It will be difficult to control him and have him think about what he says being a reflection on Twitter.”

P.S. Please take the Modern Board reader survey: We’d love to know your thoughts on this newsletter! If you’re able, we would greatly appreciate your feedback in this two-minute survey to help us better serve our readers.

Aman Kidwai
aman.kidwai@fortune.com

Headlines

Jobless claims drop. Jobless claims last week dropped to 166,000, its lowest since November 1968. More than 18 million Americans received unemployment benefits this time last year, due to pandemic-related layoffs and emergency benefits that have since ended. That total has now declined to 1.72 million. April's numbers indicate further tightening of the labor market: there are 5 million more employment openings than available workers, driving up wages and inflation. CNBC

Costly Russian exit. Shell exited joint ventures with a Russian state-owned energy company last month in response to its invasion of Ukraine. On Thursday, the oil and gas company said that the “reduced value of assets, credit losses and ‘onerous’ contract terms” will cut Q1 earnings by between $4 billion and $5 billion. Shell reported earnings of nearly $19.3 billion in 2021. CBS News

Driving up pay. Walmart is raising starting pay for truck drivers from an average of $87,500 to as much as $110,000. It’s also launching a 12-week program to train distribution and fulfillment center employees to become  certified Walmart truckers. The company hopes the moves will address pandemic-related driver shortages as demand to move freight reaches record highs. USA Today

Night shift.  Workers are increasingly putting in extra working hours at night, according to Microsoft data. That’s primarily a result of increased meetings during the day and the flexibility of remote or hybrid work. As a whole, these employees are also spending more time working than ever before. Researchers suggest implementing weekly meeting-free days, recording all meetings, and decreasing expectations for synchronous collaboration time.  Atlantic

Buffet buys tech. After long avoiding tech stocks, Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway disclosed a $4.2 billion, 11% stake in HP Inc., the consumer division that split off from Hewlett-Packard Enterprise. HP shares rose 11% on the day as a result. Though Buffet typically avoids tech stocks, aside from a short ride with IBM and a 5.6% stake in Apple, his company now passes Vanguard and BlackRock to become HP’s top shareholder. Wall Street Journal

Board Movement

Clay Wilkes, Michel Combes and Carlos Medeiros are stepping down from SoFi’s board. Symetra Financial Corporation added Denise Leonhard, chief commercial officer at Venmo, and Sharon Brock, former co-CFO of Tokio Marine HCC, to its board. Walgreens CEO Roz Brewer has joined the board of VillageMD along with David Brailer, chairman of Health Evolution Partners. Morgan Stanley executive Carla Harris is joining the MetLife board. Amy Reinhard, vice president of studio operations at Netflix, is joining the board of Gannet. Yolanda Macias, chief content officer at Cinedigm Entertainment Group, is joining the Sketchers board. Luis Felipe Visoso, CFO of Unity Software, has joined Splunk's board.

Numbers That Matter

42%

As employees return to the office, attendance is at its highest since the start of the pandemic, but still less than half of pre-pandemic levels, according to Kastle Systems, a building security and access company. Among the 10 cities that make up this index, Austin (61%), Houston (54%), and Dallas (51%) had the highest occupancy. This is expected to continue trending upward going forward.

This is the web version of The Modern Board, a newsletter focusing on mastering the new rules of corporate leadership. Sign up to get it delivered free to your inbox.

About the Author
By Aman Kidwai
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Newsletters

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Newsletters

She grew Salesforce’s team by 600% in South Asia. Meet one of India’s most powerful women
NewslettersMPW Daily
She grew Salesforce’s team by 600% in South Asia. Meet one of India’s most powerful women
By Angelica AngMay 22, 2026
13 hours ago
dario
NewslettersTerm Sheet
‘A pressure cooker ready to explode’: The wild secondaries scramble for Anthropic shares
By Allie GarfinkleMay 22, 2026
18 hours ago
IBM CEO Arvind Krishna (right) and U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House on December 10, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
U.S. will award $2 billion in grants to nine quantum computing companies—and take equity stakes
By Andrew NuscaMay 22, 2026
19 hours ago
Bolt’s cofounder scrapped its HR department. This CEO says people management is key to thriving in the AI age
NewslettersCEO Daily
Bolt’s cofounder scrapped its HR department. This CEO says people management is key to thriving in the AI age
By Diane BradyMay 22, 2026
19 hours ago
Boris Cherny is the creator and head of Claude Code at Anthropic
NewslettersEye on AI
Anthropic lands in London as AI-powered coding—and the anxieties around it—go mainstream
By Beatrice NolanMay 21, 2026
1 day ago
Victoria’s Secret’s CEO is so confident in her strategy to bring back sexy that the company just changed its stock ticker to ‘VSXY’
NewslettersMPW Daily
Victoria’s Secret’s CEO is so confident in her strategy to bring back sexy that the company just changed its stock ticker to ‘VSXY’
By Emma HinchliffeMay 21, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
2 days ago
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
Success
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
3 days ago
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
3 days ago
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
Success
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
By Emma BurleighMay 22, 2026
14 hours ago
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
Workplace Culture
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
By Sydney LakeMay 20, 2026
2 days ago
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
AI
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
By Jake AngeloMay 22, 2026
12 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.