Elon Musk attends The 2022 Met Gala.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Elon Musk reportedly told investors he will lay off nearly 75% of Twitter’s 7,500-person workforce, according to The Washington Post.
The Post reports that massive job cuts were coming to Twitter regardless of Musk’s deal to buy the company.
Twitter did not immediately respond to requests for comment about reported impending layoffs.
Elon Musk reportedly plans to gut Twitter’s workforce.
Musk told prospective investors in his deal to buy Twitter that he planned to get rid of nearly 75% of the company’s 7,500 workers, according to internal documents and interviews by The Washington Post.
Musk’s deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion is expected close by next Friday in good faith after a months-long legal battle with Twitter.
The Post found that even if Musk does not end up buying Twitter, massive layoffs would still be in the picture for the social media company.
Twitter’s current management reportedly planned to slash the company’s payroll by about $800 million by next year regardless of the deal, which the Post said would mean at least a quarter of Twitter’s workforce would have to depart.
Insider could not independently verify Twitter and Musk’s plans for layoffs, and Twitter could not be immediately reached for comment.
Many tech companies are contending with hiring freezes and layoffs amid a slowing economy, though no other tech company of Twitter’s size has laid off such a large percentage of its workforce in recent months.
Experts who spoke to the Post said that layoffs of this size could open Twitter up to a higher risk of hacks and offensive content on the site.
In August, a whistleblower complaint from Twitter’s former head of security was made public that accused the company of negligent and reckless cybersecurity policies.