Having already replaced the social media platform’s icon with a Dogecoin picture, changed an email response to press inquiries to a poop emoji, and used the platform to taunt the likes of Bill Gates and former employees, Elon Musk seems to be making good on an idea he had around this time last year; rebranding Twitter to the moniker “Titter.”
The platform’s head office in San Francisco now sports a painted-out W on its sign, with Musk tweeting a photo of the new look on Monday.
The Twitter CEO said the move was made because the landlord of the building had insisted that legally, the sign couldn’t be changed.
“Problem solved,” Musk crowed, pointing out that the W had not been removed but simply covered with white paint.
Our landlord at SF HQ says we’re legally required to keep sign as Twitter & cannot remove “w”, so we painted it background color. Problem solved! pic.twitter.com/1iFjccTbUq
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 10, 2023
It’s not the first time Twitter has fallen out with its landlords.
In December the New York Times reported that the business had stopped paying rent for some of its offices—including its San Francisco HQ—in a bid to renegotiate leases.
It was unclear how much the company allegedly owed, though it had apparently refused to transfer payment for a number of weeks.
Fans of the SpaceX founder also won’t be surprised by the changes to the exterior at 1355 Market Street, after Musk initially floated the proposal to Twitter users in April 2022.
According to the Economic Times, in April 2022, Musk tweeted a poll asking users if the W in the company’s name should be removed, giving only two answers: “Yes” and “Of course.” The poll was later deleted.
Elon Musk, in a remarkable show of maturity, has removed the “w” from Twitter’s logo outside their San Francisco HQ. The company now reads as “Titter” pic.twitter.com/0i914uEygX
— LeGate🤠 (@williamlegate) April 6, 2023
Polls seem to be one of Musk’s preferred methods for making major decisions about the business.
In December 2022, Musk asked users whether he should step down as the platform’s boss—to which users overwhelmingly voted “yes.”
Despite promising to abide by the results of the poll, and complaining about how much work his CEO role is, Musk has yet to name a new CEO.
Office moves
The rebranding of Twitter’s HQ is merely the latest in a series of changes at the once bustling offices.
For a start, the site used to be packed with around 7,500 employees before Musk’s $44 billion leveraged buyout—now internal records show its headcount has dropped by around 80%.
Teams that have been gutted reportedly include those that cover human rights, machine learning ethics, curation, communications, and accessibility.
Meanwhile, the inside of the building has also been stripped, with the new owner selling off hundreds of items at auction including a blue Twitter bird statue, a handful of Eames chairs, giant flat-panel TVs, and a variety of kitchen equipment ranging from a vegetable dryer to more than a dozen espresso machines.
The items were listed on the online site BidSpotter under the heading “Online Auction Sale Featuring Surplus Corporate Office Assets of Twitter,” with most items showing opening bid prices set at $25 and $50.
On top of that, employees who were recently told returning to the office was not “optional” will have to get used to Musk being followed around by bodyguards—who reportedly even follow him into the restroom.
Twitter responded with a 💩 when approached by Fortune for comment.
