Alex McCurthy
In a fascinating turn of events, Elon Musk, the renowned billionaire entrepreneur, and CEO of Tesla, found himself in a crucial dinner meeting with Parag Agrawal, the former CEO of Twitter, back in March 2022. Little did they know that their exchange would eventually lead to Musk’s acquisition of Twitter for a staggering $44 billion, months later. However, what truly transpired during that pivotal encounter has been unveiled by Walter Isaacson, a prominent writer known for his extensive work on Elon Musk’s biography.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) recently provided a glimpse into Isaacson’s forthcoming book, ‘Elon Musk,’ which is scheduled for release on September 12. Within its pages lies a riveting account of the meeting that took place between Musk and Agrawal, shedding light on Musk’s perspective on leadership and the missing quality he perceived in Agrawal.
During the dinner, Elon Musk, known for his uncompromising leadership style, shared his candid thoughts about Parag Agrawal. While acknowledging Agrawal as “a really nice guy,” Musk emphasized one of his core principles that managers should not necessarily aim to be liked, as reported by WSJ. Musk made a striking observation, stating, “What Twitter needs is a fire-breathing dragon, and Parag is not that.”
The meeting also saw the presence of Bret Taylor, who was then the board chair of Twitter. This dinner meeting between Musk and Agrawal was significant not only for its content but also for the subsequent developments that unfolded between the two tech giants.
In an unexpected turn of events, a lawsuit filed by Twitter against Elon Musk in September 2022 revealed a series of cordial messages exchanged between Musk and Agrawal following the dinner meeting. Agrawal reached out to Musk on March 27, 2022, with a message that expressed his enthusiasm: “Hey Elon – great to be connected directly. Would love to chat.” Musk responded with a simple yet positive message: “Great dinner :)”
However, the harmony didn’t last long. In April, Musk posted a tweet from Hawaii, raising concerns about the activity of certain “top” Twitter accounts, questioning whether the platform was in decline. This tweet marked the beginning of a discordant exchange. In response to Musk’s tweet, Agrawal sent a polite message, asserting his responsibility for Twitter’s betterment and explaining that Musk’s statement didn’t align with the current context.
Musk’s response was cutting and direct. He asked Agrawal, “What did you get done this week?” This retort, as per WSJ, was a quintessential Musk move. Additionally, Musk expressed his reluctance to join Twitter’s board, deeming it a waste of time, and hinted at his intention to make an offer to take Twitter private.
Amid this unfolding drama, Agrawal sought a conversation with Musk, and Twitter’s board chair, Taylor, also requested “five minutes” to talk. Musk, however, remained steadfast in his stance, asserting that drastic action was required to fix Twitter.
The saga eventually culminated in October when a deal was struck to take Twitter private. One of the initial steps taken by Elon Musk as the new owner was to remove Parag Agrawal from his position.
In retrospect, the dinner meeting between Musk and Agrawal, which took place months before the Twitter acquisition, serves as a captivating tale of differing leadership philosophies and the subsequent clash of visions. The unfolding events exemplify the dynamic nature of the tech industry and the influential role played by visionary leaders like Elon Musk.
