[imagesource: Twitter / @elonmusk]

Elon Musk is really, really enjoying his time as the new Twitter boss.

We know this because he tells us repeatedly on Twitter, in between decrying the mainstream media’s reporting of his takeover and other gripes about how tough it is being the world’s richest person.

Some of the reporting about Twitter’s impending demise has been over the top. That being said, Musk’s ‘fake news’ spiel is eerily similar to a former US president.

Anyway, he’s having fun!

I am having a great time 🤣🤣

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 21, 2022

Fun level on Twitter has definitely increased! I’m having a great time tbh.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 24, 2022

Happy for you, bud.

New Twitter merch will probably be available soon. As for the old stuff, the boss doesn’t appear to be a fan:

Found in closet at Twitter HQ fr 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/3xSI3KvvHk

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 23, 2022

Just a slight tweak and you get:

Awesome new Twitter merch! pic.twitter.com/zqdL9xGRuR

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 23, 2022

Mashable has a long explanation of how those shirts came to be if anyone is interested:

The #StayWoke shirts were created in the mid-2010s by Twitter’s Black employees group, known as “Blackbirds,” in the wake of the mass Black Lives Matter protests at the time against racial injustice and police brutality.

…Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, who originally had texted with Musk about him acquiring the platform, even wore a #StayWoke shirt after Michael Brown was murdered in Ferguson, Missouri.

While he is clearly enjoying himself, all of this does raise the question of how Musk will entice advertisers to spend on Twitter, which is necessary for its profitability.

Those $8 blue ticks will generate money but not enough to keep Twitter afloat. A report published this week by Media Matters points out that so far, it’s been a rough start:

In recent weeks, 50 of the top 100 advertisers have either announced or seemingly stopped advertising on Twitter. These advertisers have accounted for nearly $2 billion in spending on the platform since 2020, and over $750 million in advertising in 2022 alone.

In addition to advertisers that have seemingly stopped all advertising on Twitter as of November 21, there are an additional seven advertisers which appear to be slowing the rate of their advertising on the platform to almost nothing. Since 2020, these seven advertisers have accounted for over $255 million in spending on Twitter, and nearly $118 million in advertising in 2022.

Perhaps over time, things will settle, advertisers will return, and the blue bird will start printing money.

If it doesn’t, at least Musk enjoyed his time burning it to the ground.

Neil A, which is alien spelled backwards, was first person on the moon, and the year was 69 …

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 24, 2022

[sources:mashable&mediamatters]