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

Trendingnow

1

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

2

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

3

Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026

1

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

2

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

3

Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
Tech

Twitter employees laid off after Elon Musk’s takeover received severance payments today that fall short of expectations

Kylie Robison
By
Kylie Robison
Kylie Robison
Down Arrow Button Icon
Kylie Robison
By
Kylie Robison
Kylie Robison
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 7, 2023, 2:28 PM ET
Twitter CEO Elon Musk
After Elon Musk assumed control of the social media giant in late October, about three-fourths of the company’s staff of 7,500 were let go in a series of cuts.Britta Pedersen—Pool/Getty Images

Following further delays this week, some former Twitter employees finally received their official severance agreements on Saturday after months of anticipation, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. However, the compensation is much less than what many expected, and the emails are landing in spam folders.

After Elon Musk assumed control of the social media giant in late October, about three-fourths of the company’s staff of 7,500 were let go in a series of cuts. Musk tweeted that those affected would receive “3 months of severance compensation.” Previous Twitter leadership pledged to offer at least two months’ worth of severance pay as well as prorated performance bonuses, extended visa support, money for health care continuation, and the cash value of equity that would vest within three months, according to the Los Angeles Times.

However, as we previously reported, the agreements sent out today provide laid-off employees in the U.S. one month of base pay as severance. Those let go in November have been kept on the payroll and have been paid their regular salaries for the previous 60 days because of requirements of the federal WARN Act, which mandates companies give a 60-day notice before mass layoffs. Although those workers had been barred from the company’s internal systems since November, they were formally let go on Jan. 4 in accordance with the law.

What’s more, employees will not be receiving their prorated performance bonuses, according to Twitter’s severance material viewed by Fortune. Some employees received COBRA, which is money for health care continuation, a source said.

“I mean I expected him to f–k us (he did),” an impacted employee wrote to Fortune. “This is about 1/3 of what he contractually owes us based on his purchase agreement.”

Although employees were given two months’ pay during a “nonworking” period to comply with the federal WARN Act, a lawyer for two class action lawsuits against Twitter claimed that such money should not be included in the actual severance paid to employees, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Not all impacted employees received their agreements, multiple sources told Fortune. The agreements are being sent out by a third-party service provider called CPT Group, in lieu of in-house HR services. It’s not yet clear why only some have received their agreements, but many have been finding the agreements in their spam folder, sources say.

Sources have pointed out some hiccups in the process too. Those who received their agreements today were provided a unique login and directed to visit a domain, but that domain was set up roughly five hours before the severance agreements went out and doesn’t have Twitter’s name in it, causing many to believe it was a phishing attempt.

if you were wondering about the current state of twitter, many folks just received their separation agreements in their spam folders, pointing to a URL that was registered this morning from a vendor with a 1 star BBB rating. if still there, I would have reported this as phishing.

— parker lyons (@tweetsbyparker) January 7, 2023

After logging in and viewing their severance agreement, former employees have the option to sign or opt out of the agreement, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The website has an accompanying FAQ page stating that impacted employees can anticipate payment within 45 days of their signed agreement. A downloadable “Additional FAQs” document confirms that employees will not be receiving performance bonus payments, which were set to be paid out in March, and that there will be “no negotiation of the agreement or the severance amount listed.”

As many as 5,500 laid-off Twitter employees were set to receive the official severance agreements, Fortune previously reported.

Fortune reached out to Twitter outside normal business hours but did not receive an immediate reply.

Do you have insight to share? Got a tip? Contact Kylie Robison at kylie.robison@fortune.com, through secure messaging app Signal at 415-735-6829, or via Twitter DM.

About the Author
Kylie Robison
By Kylie Robison
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

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 Tech

A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, on Wednesday, June 3, 2026
InvestingWall Street
Wall Street dumped nearly $1 trillion in tech stocks by midday—then clawed it back and bought peanut butter and paint
By Eva RoytburgJune 9, 2026
2 hours ago
AI isn’t replacing Hyatt’s salespeople—it’s freeing up a full day of work every week, according to the CEO
AIBrainstorm Tech
AI isn’t replacing Hyatt’s salespeople—it’s freeing up a full day of work every week, according to the CEO
By Sharon GoldmanJune 9, 2026
3 hours ago
America’s grid is reeling. General Motors offers itself as a distributed utility in disguise
EnergyAutos
America’s grid is reeling. General Motors offers itself as a distributed utility in disguise
By Nick LichtenbergJune 9, 2026
3 hours ago
Tesla cofounder: ‘We should be really worried’ about the U.S. grid as China speeds ahead in the power race
EnergyBrainstorm Tech
Tesla cofounder: ‘We should be really worried’ about the U.S. grid as China speeds ahead in the power race
By Jordan BlumJune 9, 2026
3 hours ago
The AI industry spent years chasing bigger models. Now it’s chasing efficiency
AIBrainstorm Tech
The AI industry spent years chasing bigger models. Now it’s chasing efficiency
By Sharon GoldmanJune 9, 2026
4 hours ago
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma speaks on stage at Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2026.
Big TechMicrosoft
‘Not an Allbirds Moment’: Xbox’s new CEO says she is grounding the console in gaming roots, not AI
By Sebastian HerreraJune 9, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
Environment
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
By Sasha RogelbergJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Asia
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
By Kate O'Keeffe and BloombergJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
Economy
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
By Nick LichtenbergJune 9, 2026
7 hours ago
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
Success
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
By Preston ForeJune 7, 2026
2 days ago
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Success
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
By Preston ForeJune 8, 2026
1 day 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.