In a surprising move, billionaire Elon Musk has announced a major rebrand of the social media giant Twitter, turning it into X. The change was first spotted on the web version of the platform, where the Twitter bird logo was replaced by a white, stylized X on a black background. The change is a significant step toward Musk's ambition to create an "everything app," much like China's WeChat.
The new logo will not only be used to signify Twitter's main account but will also badge accounts linked to company employees. Furthermore, the rebranding will gradually be applied across all the other Twitter accounts. Mobile apps still display the blue bird logo, but it is expected that they will be updated soon to reflect the new branding.
The decision to replace the iconic Twitter bird, a symbol that has been associated with Twitter for over a decade, is both unexpected and consistent with Musk's ambitious plans. Musk has hinted at transforming Twitter into X as a step towards realizing his vision of an 'everything app.' Musk has crowd-sourced the new logo design from his followers, the chosen design being a minimalist art deco style X.
The shift in branding is part of Musk's continued overhaul of Twitter, following his purchase of the company for $44 billion in 2022. His controversial changes include modifications to content moderation and verification policies, and significant reductions in staff numbers. This rebranding marks a notable departure from the company that users have grown accustomed to.
Musk's fascination with the X brand dates back to 1999 when he founded X.com, a company aimed to revolutionize the financial industry by creating a comprehensive platform for banking, digital purchases, credit cards, investments, and loans. The X.com name continued to live even after its merger into PayPal, underlining Musk's long-term vision.
Fast forward to 2023, and Musk's interest in X has resurfaced. He sees the potential in Twitter as a catalyst to fulfill his original vision from 1999. The tech mogul envisions transforming Twitter into a combination of a financial platform and social network, powered by AI. This transformation could offer services like payments and messaging, and potentially become a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities.
Twitter's CEO, Linda Yaccarino, has echoed Musk's enthusiasm for the change, stating there is "no limit to this transformation" and the team is "just getting started." The replacement of the iconic bird logo and the 'Twitter' brand name with X reflects Musk's grand plan to transform the microblogging platform into a super app.
Despite the divisive nature of the changes, with some applauding Musk's audacity and others resistant to the rebrand, it is clear that under Musk's leadership, Twitter is embarking on a new path. This rebranding marks the clearest declaration yet that this is no longer the same social network that it was before Musk's acquisition.
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