Elon Musk.Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty
Twitter is preparing to lay off multiple employees just afterElon Muskcompleted his deal topurchase the social media platform for $44 billion.
Musk’s lawyer and representatives for Twitter did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
“In an effort to place Twitter on a healthy path, we will go through the difficult process of reducing our global workforce on Friday,” Thursday’s email said, per the outlet.
The San Francisco-based company said in the memo that it will cut off employees' access to the offices, which will be shut down amid the layoff news “to help ensure the safety of each employee as well as Twitter systems and customer data,” according to Reuters.
Elon Musk.Taylor Hill/Getty Images; Getty Images
“We recognize that this will impact a number of individuals who have madevaluable contributions to Twitter, but this action is unfortunately necessary to ensure the company’s success moving forward,” the email continued, perThe Hollywood Reporter.
THRreported that those who will not be let go will be told in their work email, while those who are laid off will be informed in their personal emails, the memo noted.
“We acknowledge this is an incredibly challenging experience to go through, whether or not you are impacted,” the company said in its email,The Washington Postadded. “We are grateful foryour contributions to Twitterand for your patience as we move through this process.”
After Musk purchased Twitter for $44 billion, experts say its actual worth is $25 billion. Musk, 51, also reportedly borrowed $12 billion to be able to afford the sale. The layoffs, which could be as high as 50 percent of employees, is said to be an effort to cut costs, according toThe Washington Post.
This wouldn’t be the first timeMusk has cut staffsince taking over Twitter last month.
Insiders toldCNNthat shortly after Musk completed the sale, CEO Parag Agrawal and two other executives were let go.
Sources toldThe Washington Postthat along with Agrawal, Twitter’s head of legal policy, trust, and safety Vijaya Gadde, and CFO Ned Segal were all taken out of the building via shuttle after they were terminated. Twitter’s general counsel Sean Edgett was also fired.
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Musk completing the purchase of Twitter marked the end of a months-long back-and-forth between the company and the Tesla founder, who announced his plans toback out of his agreementto buy Twitter back in July.
In April, whenTwitter first announced it had"entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired," Musk shared a statement about how he wanted to make the company “better than ever.”
“Twitter has tremendous potential,” he wrote in April, “I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it.”
source: people.com