In a revealing excerpt from Walter Isaacson’s upcoming book, it’s disclosed that Elon Musk, Tesla’s billionaire founder, met with Parag Agarwal, the then-CEO of Twitter, before Musk’s acquisition of the platform. Musk, while finding Agarwal to be a “really nice guy,” believed he lacked the needed assertiveness and described what Twitter required as a “fire-breathing dragon.” This encounter ultimately played a part in Agarwal’s removal as CEO.
Twitter’s board chair, Bret Taylor, also attended the dinner meeting. After this meeting, both Musk and Agarwal exchanged friendly messages. However, tensions escalated when Musk questioned Twitter’s future in a tweet, prompting Agarwal to express his concerns. Musk responded with a curt, “What did you get done this week?” and stated he had no interest in joining Twitter’s board, suggesting taking the platform private instead. This exchange highlighted a leadership clash that ultimately contributed to Agarwal’s departure as CEO.