Elon Musk goes all out on San Francisco criticism after Twitter acquisition

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July 1, 2023 1:30 a.m. | 2 minute read

Twitter owner and billionaire Elon Musk has expressed his displeasure with the state of San Francisco, where Twitter’s headquarters are located.

Musk, who has more than 144 million Twitter followers, described the city as post-apocalyptic and even suggested the city could serve as the backdrop for an episode of The Walking Dead, reports the Wall Street Journal.

You could literally film an unedited Walking Dead episode in downtown SF.

This is where San Francisco politics leads and Twitter was exporting this self-destructing mind virus to the world.

With few exceptions, other tech companies continue to do so.

Evil disguised as good.

Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 1, 2023 ENTER TO WIN $500 IN STOCK OR CRYPTO

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The future of Twitter in San Francisco

Musk raised concerns about Twitter’s future in the city, hinting at the possibility of the company leaving San Francisco. His criticism is adding pressure on local officials who are grappling with a downtown struggling to recover from the pandemic and plagued by crime, drug use and homelessness, according to the Journal.

So many stores closed in downtown SF. Feels post-apocalyptic.

Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 4, 2023

Many Twitter employees feel unsafe coming to work in downtown SF and have had their car windows smashed.

They have also received such a lousy response from the police that they don’t even bother to report the crimes anymore, because nothing is happening.

Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 15, 2023

City leaders respond

City leaders, however, have defended San Francisco, arguing that it is unfairly portrayed as dangerous. Dean Preston, a member of the city’s board of supervisors, criticized Musks’ comments, saying tech billionaires should offer solutions rather than just criticism.

I don’t think Elon Muskor’s cheap shots of San Francisco by one of his fellow billionaires are helpful to the city, Preston said.

Musks Reviews

Musk’s criticism came amid high-profile crimes in the city, including a mass shooting that injured nine people last month. He also criticized the city’s response to the fentanyl crisis and homelessness, according to the WSJ.

Reactions to Musks Comments

Some of Musk’s comments sparked backlash, including from District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who criticized Musk for making reckless and irresponsible statements about the death of tech executive Bob Lee. Musk’s criticism of Mayor London Breed also drew attention, leading to an investigation into potential building code violations on Twitter.

See related: Elon Musk urges Tesla shareholders to exercise caution ahead of second quarter deliveries: Beware of

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