Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) is reportedly shutting down its long-lived HQ

[Garth Gator]

 

X, previously known as Twitter, is bidding farewell to its San Francisco roots. The evolved blue bird company, which has been in the city since its early days in 2006, is preparing to fly the coop from its main office at 1355 Market Street.

 

CEO Linda Yaccarino dropped this bombshell in an internal email, stating that the office will close “in the next few weeks,” according to the New York Times. Yaccarino framed this decision as crucial for X’s future, though it marks the end of an era for the company in its birthplace.

 

X’s relationship with San Francisco has been a bit of a roller coaster.The old Twitter moved into the Market Square building in 2012, lured by tax incentives from then-Mayor Ed Lee. But recent years have seen some turbulence, especially since Elon Musk took the helm in 2022. The company faced criticism for allegedly skipping rent payments and setting up makeshift bedrooms without proper permits.

 

Despite this high-profile tweet retreat, X isn’t completely abandoning the Bay Area. The company will keep its offices in San Jose open for employees who prefer to work on-site. Additionally, an engineering-focused office in Palo Alto, shared with Musk’s AI venture xAI, will continue to operate.

 

This move follows Musk’s earlier declaration about relocating X’s headquarters (and that of SpaceX) to Texas, citing a new Texas law that prohibits school districts from informing parents about their child’s gender identification changes.

 

• https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/x-formerly-twitter-elon-musk-social-media-reportedly-closing-sf-mid-market-offices/ 
• https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/aug/05/x-twitter-san-francisco-office-closing 
• https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/05/technology/x-twitter-san-francisco-office.html 

 

 

Image: Valerio Rosati | Dreamstime.com