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Elon Musk said Monday that future polls on Twitter's policies will be limited to paying Twitter Blue subscribers.

Why it matters: It was one of Musk's first tweets since Twitter users voted for him to step down as head of the company via a poll he initiated and pledged to follow.

Musk hasn't specifically addressed the poll since the results were finalized early Monday morning.

Driving the news: A Twitter user tweeted at Musk to suggest that "Blue subscribers should be the only ones that can vote in policy related polls. We actually have skin in the game."

Musk replied: "Good point. Twitter will make that change."

A majority of the roughly 17.5 million respondents — 57.5% — to a Twitter poll posted by Musk on Sunday said that he should step down as head of Twitter.

The big picture: The social media company relaunched its Twitter Blue subscription service earlier this month.

Subscribers can pay a monthly fee for verified, blue-check-mark accounts and some additional features — like editing tweets and uploading high-quality video.

An earlier attempt to roll out the subscription attempt failed over concerns about impersonation.

Go deeper: Twitter investors are divided on Musk moves

Musk: Twitter will limit policy polls to paying subscribers

It was one of Musk's first tweets since Twitter users voted for him to step down as head of the company.

Elon Musk talks to the press at a Tesla Gigafactory near Berlin in 2020. Photo: Maja Hitij/Getty Images

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A majority of respondents — 57.5% — to a Twitter poll posted by Elon Musk on Sunday said that he should "step down as head" of Twitter.

Why it matters: His potential resignation as the head of Twitter could end one of the most chaotic and controversial tenures ever for a CEO of a major U.S. company.

Details: The poll, which launched Sunday at 6:20pm ET, concluded with a majority of the more than 17.5 million respondents saying Musk should step down.

Musk has amassed more than 120 million followers on the platform, making him one of its biggest voices.

"As the saying goes, be careful what you wish, as you might get it," Musk tweeted Sunday after posting the poll.

Between the lines: News of Musk's resignation wouldn't be shocking, considering he has long dismissed the value of corporate titles — and had recently assured anxious Tesla investors that he planned to step down eventually.

"The question is not finding a CEO, the question is finding a CEO who can keep Twitter alive," Musk tweeted Sunday. He also suggested that the company was on "the fast lane to bankruptcy since May," even though the company at the time had more than $2 billion of cash in the bank.

But, but, but: Musk still owns Twitter, so any new CEO still would report to him.

The big picture: Musk's potentially brief tenure as CEO was marred by daily controversies that drove lots of bad press and caused advertisers to flee the platform.

The billionaire businessman had to delay the launch of Twitter's new subscription product following a botched initial rollout.

A slew of world leaders and celebrities left Twitter, citing the chaos around Musk's ownership.

Just yesterday, Musk said users no longer would be able to mention other social media accounts in their profiles, leading to the temporary suspension of Y Combinator founder Paul Graham.

The suspension of journalists last week was a near-breaking point for the media, which has long relied on Twitter to grow audiences.

To many, the arbitrary bans suggested that Musk's "free speech" values don't apply equally to accounts that post things Musk doesn't like.

Be smart: The Twitter role has put stress on Musk's personal finances and his other businesses.

Tesla's stock has taken a massive hit in response to Musk's Twitter takeover. Tesla shares shot up nearly 5% in premarket trading Monday when the poll closed. 

Musk has had to liquidate billions of dollars in Tesla stock to finance his Twitter deal and to keep the company afloat. With advertisers fleeing the platform, he has begun asking investors for more money. 

As of last week, Musk is no longer the richest man in the world. 

The bottom line: Musk so far has abided by the results of his Twitter polls, including the reinstatement of former President Trump. But he's also known to change his mind.

Twitter poll: Majority says Musk should step down as CEO

Musk still owns Twitter, so any new CEO still would report to him.

Illustration of the Twitter bird flying past Elon Musk, leaving droppings on his shoulder. 

Photo illustration: Maura Losch. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Elon Musk asked Twitter users in a poll Sunday evening whether he should "step down as head" of the company.

Driving the news: Musk launched the poll hours after Twitter faced criticism for announcing it would ban accounts used to promote other accounts on other specific social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Mastodon.

"Going forward, there will be a vote for major policy changes. My apologies. Won’t happen again," tweeted Musk, who said he "will abide by the results of this poll."

What else he's saying: "The question is not finding a CEO, the question is finding a CEO who can keep Twitter alive," Musk tweeted.

"No one wants the job who can actually keep Twitter alive. There is no successor," the billionaire Twitter owner said in another tweet.

The big picture: Musk's recent focus on Twitter has left some Tesla investors frustrated, with one of them suing him over the size of his Tesla compensation package, per Axios' Sara Fischer.

Musk told a Delaware judge in a hearing as part of the lawsuit last month that he plans to "reduce my time at Twitter and find somebody else to run Twitter over time."

Go deeper: Elon Musk's Twitter obsession takes further toll on Tesla

Musk asks Twitter users in poll if he should step down as its "head"

"No one wants the job who can actually keep Twitter alive. There is no successor," Musk said.

 In this photo illustration, the image of Elon Musk is displayed on a computer screen and the logo of twitter on a mobile phone in Ankara, Turkiye on October 06, 2022. 

Twitter CEO Elon Musk. Illustration: Muhammed Selim Korkutata/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Elon Musk temporarily banned another journalist over the weekend — after he brought some reporters back to the platform after suspending their accounts, using a Twitter poll to decide their fate.

The latest: Taylor Lorenz, a technology and online culture columnist at the Washington Post, on Sunday appeared to have her Twitter account reinstated after it was suspended on Saturday. 

Lorenz wrote in a tweet on Sunday that she believes Twitter's newest rule that bans accounts used to promote the accounts of other specific social media platforms is what led to her suspension. 

Twitter said it would suspend accounts made specifically for the purpose of promoting Facebook, Instagram and Mastodon and other platforms.

Before being banned, Lorenz had a tweet that linked to her other social media platforms, including Instagram and Post, which are prohibited under Twitter's new rule. 

Catch up quick: Lorenz and Drew Harwell, another Washington Post tech reporter, were researching an article involving Musk. In an attempt to contact him, Lorenz requested an interview via a tweet on Saturday, she wrote. 

Later that day, when she went to check whether there was a response, she received a notification that her account was suspended.

The big picture: Musk has repeatedly said he supports free speech and intends to use Twitter to promote it, Axios' Sara Fischer writes. However, he has been inconsistent with content moderation decisions.

State of play: Musk asked Thursday night if the "accounts who doxxed my exact location in real-time" should be unsuspended from Twitter.

This was a reference to a number of prominent journalists, who were kicked off Twitter on Thursday night, Axios reports.

The poll, which had more than 3.6 million votes, showed the majority of voters (58.7%) wanted the accounts brought back "now."

Flashback: Musk's comments on his location stemmed from the controversy earlier this week when the account that actively tracked Musk's private jet was suspended from the platform.

Driving the news: Musk on Saturday — after reinstating some journalists on the platform — bashed the "corporate media" on his account, writing: "They abandon even the pretense of noble principles in their zeal to keep their monopoly on information seen by the public." 

Musk in a separate Twitter response also said: "They think they’re better than everyone else." 

Of note: A Twitter poll similarly helped Musk decide whether or not to bring former President Trump back to Twitter.

In late November, Musk reinstated Trump's Twitter account after a poll from Musk showed millions of accounts (52% of 15 million total votes) wanted him back on the platform, Axios reports.

Trump said he has no plans to return to Twitter, and will remain on his own social media platform, Truth Social. 

Elon Musk's Twitter suspends several journalists' accounts without notice

Twitter press suspensions become media flashpoint

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details and with a new headline. 

Musk reinstates Washington Post reporter on Twitter

Taylor Lorenz appeared to have her Twitter account reinstated Sunday after it was suspended on Saturday.

Photo illustration of Elon Musk shrugging and holding up his hands

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Liesa Johannssen-Koppitz/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Elon Musk is asking Twitter investors to dig deeper into their pockets, as he seeks to make the social media company financially viable. 

Driving the news: Musk, via his family office, this week privately offered to sell additional equity at the same $44 billion valuation that he's essentially admitted was an overpay.

The news was first reported by Semafor and confirmed to Axios by an investor who received the letter.

Musk has not said how much new capital he's seeking to raise, nor provided investors with financial updates on the company. 

His original takeover was partially funded by outside investors like Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, Fidelity, and Oracle founder Larry Ellison. Several large Twitter investors also rolled over their equity stakes, including company co-founder Jack Dorsey and Saudi Arabia's Kingdom Holding Company.

Twitter no longer has a communications team or other spokespeople for Axios to contact for comment.

Flashback: Earlier this week, Musk sold around $3.58 billion of Tesla stock, despite having repeatedly pledged earlier this year not to do so. 

Musk hasn't said why he sold the shares, or if it was to help refinance some of the high-interest loans that Twitter carries because of Musk's buyout.

Elon Musk asks Twitter investors for more money

Musk has not said how much new capital he's seeking to raise, nor provided investors with financial updates on the company.

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

A series of Twitter accounts belonging to journalists who cover Elon Musk and Twitter were suspended without notice on Thursday.

Why it matters: Musk has vowed to make Twitter a haven for "healthy, functioning free speech." He tweeted in April, "I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means."

Details: The following accounts were suspended on Thursday night:

Washington Post tech reporter Drew Harwell

CNN politics and tech correspondent Donie O'Sullivan

Sports and political commentator Keith Olbermann

Voice of America's chief national correspondent Steve Herman

State of play: The notice that appears on the now-suspended accounts reads: "Twitter suspends accounts that violate the Twitter Rules."

Many of these reporters' last tweets or stories focused on Musk and Twitter.

In response to a tweet about the suspensions, Musk indicated that the accounts violated Twitter's doxxing policy, which he revealed Wednesday after suspending an account that actively tracked his private jet.

Several of the suspended journalists' accounts had allegedly tweeted links to the jet tracker. "Same doxxing rules apply to 'journalists' as to everyone else," Musk tweeted.

"Accounts engaged in doxxing receive a temporary 7 day suspension," he said.

What they're saying: "The impulsive and unjustified suspensions of a number of reporters, including CNN's Donie O'Sullivan, is concerning but not surprising," CNN said in a statement. "Twitter's increasing instability and volatility should be of incredible concern to everyone who uses the platform. We have asked Twitter for an explanation, and we will reevaluate our relationship based on that response."

The Washington Post's executive editor Sally Buzbee in a statement called for Harwell's Twitter account to be "reinstated immediately," saying his suspension "directly undermines Elon Musk's claim that he intends to run Twitter as a platform dedicated to free speech."

"Harwell was banished from Twitter without warning, process or explanation, following the publication of his accurate reporting about Musk," Buzbee added.

A New York Times spokesperson called the suspensions "questionable and unfortunate."

"Neither The Times nor Ryan have received any explanation about why this occurred," the spokesperson said in a statement. "We hope that all of the journalists' accounts are reinstated and that Twitter provides a satisfying explanation for this action."

When asked about the suspension, Mac pointed to his creation of a new Twitter account under the name "Silenced Ryan Mac," where he said he was given no warning.

Rupar wrote on Substack Thursday night, "I have no idea what rules I purportedly broke. I haven’t heard anything from Twitter at all."

He noted that he tweeted Wednesday about the ElonJet account that was suspended from Twitter. But Rupar added, "I still don't know what policy that could’ve possibly violated."

Axios has contacted the other reporters and/or representatives of their news organizations for comment.

Worth noting: Twitter also suspended Mastodon's account on Thursday after the latter tweeted a link to the jet tracking account on its own platform, TechCrunch reports.

Be smart: It's unclear how long these suspensions will last. Musk has said he does not believe in permanently banning accounts.

The big picture: Musk has been pushing for free speech-first Twitter since he offered to buy the company, saying he is "against censorship that goes far beyond the law."

"If people want less free speech, they will ask government to pass laws to that effect," he tweeted in April. "Therefore, going beyond the law is contrary to the will of the people."

“If it's a gray area, I would say let the tweet exist," Musk later said at the TED2022 conference in April. "In a case where there's perhaps a lot of controversy, you don't necessarily promote that tweet."

He wrote in an October note to advertisers that Twitter would not become a "free-for-all hellscape" but emphasized the importance of having a "wide range of beliefs."

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Musk previously vowed to make Twitter a haven for "healthy, functioning free speech."

Elon Musk talks to the press at the construction site of a new Tesla Gigafactory on Sept. 3, 2020 near Gruenheide, Germany. Photo: Maja Hitij via Getty Images

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Twitter has clipped the wings of the account that actively tracked Elon Musk's private jet, the account's owner said Wednesday before his personal account was also suspended.

Why it matters: The suspensions raise questions about Musk's commitment to free speech on Twitter, a value he has directly linked to his takeover of the platform.

Musk said in early November that his "commitment to free speech" included the account following his plane.

The latest: The Twitter owner explained the suspension, saying that "real-time posting of someone else’s location violates doxxing policy, but delayed posting of locations are OK."

Later Wednesday, referencing his toddler son, Musk tweeted: “Last night, car carrying lil X in LA was followed by crazy stalker (thinking it was me), who later blocked car from moving & climbed onto hood." 

It was not clear who the “stalker” was that Musk referenced in his tweet or whether that incident was related to the use of Musk’s location data.

In the same tweet, Musk wrote that he was taking legal action against Sweeney and "organizations who supported harm to my family."

Catch up quick: Sweeney tweeted Wednesday that "it appears @ElonJet is suspended."

The account, which has more than 500,000 followers, actively tracks Musk's location through public flight-tracking data.

Sweeney said on Wednesday afternoon that he had created a Mastodon account that will track Musk's plane.

Later Wednesday, Sweeney's personal account, @JxckSweeney, appeared to be suspended.

"All of my Twitter accounts have been banned. Even my personal make sure to stay connected with me," Sweeney wrote on Mastodon.

He also posted a screenshot that showed he was suspended for violating "rules against platform manipulation and spam."

Sweeney did not respond to Axios’ request for comment.

Context: In a thread on Dec. 10, Sweeney claimed that his account had been limited and restricted. Sweeney shared screenshots that he said were from Twitter employees that showed his account was heavily filtered.

He said two days later that his account wasn't hidden or filtered anymore.

Screenshot of suspended note. Photo: Twitter @JxckSweeney

Flashback: Musk, who purchased Twitter for $44 billion in October, said last month he would allow the jet-tracking account to live "even though that is a direct personal safety risk."

Between the lines: Advertisers are closely watching how Musk's Twitter moderates content and handles free speech cases.

Go deeper: A timeline of the Musk-Twitter deal so far

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story inaccurately said Jack Sweeney appeared to be the occupant of the car tweeted by Musk. Jack Sweeney owns the ElonJet account that has been threatened with legal action by Musk. Axios cannot definitely identify the occupant of the car. 

Musk threatens legal action against Twitter user who tracked his jet

The user’s account was also suspended, raising questions about Musk's commitment to free speech on the platform.

Elon Musk attends Heidi Klum's 2022 Hallowe'en Party at Sake No Hana at Moxy LES on October 31, 2022.

Elon Musk attends a Halloween party in October. Photo: Taylor Hill/Getty Images

Elon Musk has sold some 22 million Tesla shares worth $3.58 billion, according to  filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission Wednesday.

The big picture: The Tesla CEO publicly stated twice this year that he didn't plan to sell any more shares in the electric vehicle maker. However, filings last month showed he sold at least $3.95 billion worth of Tesla stock after completing his $44 billion takeover of Twitter.

Some Tesla investors expressed concern as shares in the firm slumped Wednesday to their lowest level in over two years that Twitter may become a distraction for Musk, Reuters notes.

Details: The filings indicated that Musk sold the latest shares in the company over three days, from Monday to Wednesday — bringing the total of Tesla stocks he's sold over the past year to almost $40 billion, per Reuters.

Go deeper: Elon Musk no longer in top spot on Forbes' real-time billionaires list

Editor's note: This article has been updated with additional details throughout.

Musk sells another batch of Tesla stock

Filings last month showed Musk had sold at least $3.95 billion worth of Tesla shares since completing his $44 billion takeover of Twitter.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is pictured as he attends the start of the production at Tesla's "Gigafactory" on March 22, 2022 in Gruenheide, southeast of Berlin. 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk at the electric vehicle company's "Gigafactory" in Gruenheide, Germany, in March. Photo: Patrick Pleul/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Twitter has stopped paying the rent on some of its office leases and hasn't paid numerous other vendors since Elon Musk acquired the company in late October, Axios has learned from multiple sources.

Why it matters: One of the world's richest men isn't honoring financial obligations made to those with far fewer resources.

What to know: Twitter had offices all over the world before Musk acquired it, and many of them remain in use. But it leases the space, rather than owns it.

Since Musk took over, the monthly bills haven't been getting paid.

Axios has obtained emails between Twitter employees and several frustrated landlords, who could be best described as getting the run-around. 

In some cases, the landlords offered lease termination deals whereby Twitter wouldn't owe the full amount, but were rebuffed.

One major issue seems to be that many of the landlords' contacts at Twitter have either been fired or quit, leaving behind junior staffers who are trying to catch up. 

But the delinquency is so widespread that some believe it's de facto policy under Musk, as suggested in a New York Times report about how the company's new owner is seeking to cut costs.

What they're saying: Bill Reynolds, a Colorado landlord who leased Twitter around 40,000 square feet in Boulder, tells Axios: "If you don't pay, you don't stay. They aren't paying, so they aren't staying."  

Another source who claims Twitter owes them hundreds of thousands of dollars notes that there is a human cost to these business disputes: "They owe me the money, but then those dollars would go out to nearly 25 other people."

Elon Musk's Twitter isn't paying its bills

Emails Axios obtained show numerous cases where Musk's Twitter has stopped paying the rent.

Illustration of a hashtag with a downward arrow. 

Twitter disbanded its "Trust and Safety Council," according to an email sent Monday night to the members of the panel that was obtained by news outlets including Axios.

Why it matters: It's another example of owner Elon Musk rolling back years of efforts designed to make the social media site a more civil and safer place, per the Washington Post.

Context: The council comprised dozens of expert advisory groups volunteering since 2016 to address what the since-deleted page described as "issues critical to the health of the public conversation."

Their key focus areas were online safety and harassment, human and digital rights, suicide prevention and mental health, child sexual exploitation and dehumanization.

Members of the group included GLAAD, the Human Rights Foundation, the Samaritans, the International Network Against Cyberhate and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Council member Alex Holmes noted in a tweet Monday night that the group of volunteers was at no point responsible for decision-making on the platform.

Driving the news: "As Twitter moves into a new phase, we are reevaluating how best to bring external insights into our product and policy development work," the company said in the email thanking the volunteers for their work.

"As part of this process, we have decided that the Trust and Safety Council is not the best structure to do this," added the email, signed only "Twitter."

"Our work to make Twitter a safe, informative place will be moving faster and more aggressively than ever before and we will continue to welcome your ideas going forward about how to achieve this goal," it read.

Of note: Twitter canceled a meeting with the volunteers before sending the email, per a tweet from Holmes, deputy CEO of nonprofit The Diana Award.

Holmes said that over the past week "several members of council have had their personal safety and well-being impacted by the actions of Twitter staff."

What they're saying: "Twitter has made it abundantly clear that trust and safety are no longer priorities for the company, given this abrupt dismissal of the Trust & Safety Council as well as its dangerous policy choices over the last month and invitations for suspended accounts to rejoin," a GLAAD spokesperson told Axios. 

"Until the company returns to following basic industry-wide best practices on hateful content, the platform clearly remains unsafe not only for LGBTQ users but for brands and advertisers."

The Committee to Protect Journalists, a nonprofit that promotes press freedom worldwide, and another council member said the action was a cause for "grave concern, particularly as it is coupled with increasingly hostile statements by Twitter owner Elon Musk about journalists and the media."

The big picture: Musk has committed to making Twitter a haven for free speech, but he has also said the removal of child sexual abuse material is his "number one priority." 

The company has lost roughly two thirds of its staff since Musk took over, including many employees who worked on trust and safety and related areas.

Flashback: Three members of the council resigned last week in protest at the Twitter changes, citing in a statement evidence they said showed that "contrary to claims by Elon Musk, the safety and wellbeing of Twitter's users are on the decline."

Musk responded by tweeting "It is a crime that they refused to take action on child exploitation for years!" — prompting Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey to call Musk's claim "false."

Go deeper: Elon Musk's Twitter sees rise in racial slurs, hate speech -

Twitter disbands Trust and Safety Council

Three council members resigned last week, citing safety concerns since Elon Musk took over Twitter.

Elon Musk and a Twitter logo are seen in this illustration photo in Warsaw, Poland on 30 November, 2022. 

An illustration of Elon Musk and a Twitter logo. Photo:STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Elon Musk on Monday fired off a series of tweets aimed at Apple for allegedly threatening "to withhold Twitter from its App Store" and for pulling most of its ad spend on Twitter. 

Why it matters: The tweets are part of a broader narrative Musk is trying to paint that Apple is a monopoly and uses its power to censor voices and charge "a secret 30% tax" on transactions in its App Store. 

Musk has used a similar playbook to put pressure on advertisers that have threatened to pull ad dollars from Twitter in recent weeks, alleging they are trying to "destroy free speech."

Musk threatens war with Apple

Twitter's owner is upset with Apple's reduced ad spend and its App Store fees.

All Elon Musk stories