Twitter CEO Elon Musk responds to laid off employee’s query with a snarky comment, says “You can’t be fired if you weren’t working in the first place”. The tweet was in response to Haraldur Thorleifsson, who had asked Musk if he was still employed by Twitter. Musk accused Thorleifsson of doing no actual work and falsely claiming to have a disability preventing him from typing while tweeting excessively.
Musk was responding to a tweet from Thorleifsson, who asked, “Am I still employed? You’re the CEO of Twitter.” Thorleifsson claimed to have been laid off by Twitter despite never having worked there. In response, Musk shared his version of events, stating that Thorleifsson had never actually worked at Twitter and had claimed to have a disability that prevented him from typing, while simultaneously tweeting frequently.
Musk’s comments were widely criticised for their insensitivity towards people with disabilities. Twitter users pointed out that many people with disabilities are highly productive and contribute significantly to society. Some also questioned whether Musk’s comments were in violation of Twitter’s policies on hate speech and discrimination.
The controversy comes as Musk continues to face criticism for his management of companies like Tesla and SpaceX. Some have accused him of creating a toxic work environment, while others have raised concerns about his treatment of employees and contractors.