X
| X | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Bastrop, Texas |
| Top official: | Elon Musk |
| Founder(s): | Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams and Biz Stone |
| Year founded: | 2006 |
| Website: | Official website |
X, formerly Twitter, is a social media platform that was founded in 2006 in San Francisco and became a publicly traded company in 2013.[1] On October 27, 2022, Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion and took the company private.[2] In July 2023, Musk announced that Twitter was rebranding to X.[3] In 2024, Musk announced that he was moving X's headquarters from California to Texas.[4]
Background
Twitter's co-founders began the company as a concept that combined instant messaging with the kind of online journaling found in services like LiveJournal. Co-founder Jack Dorsey said that the idea stemmed from "a fascination with cities and how they work, and what’s going on in them right now." Twitter became a digital version of the city's "world of vehicle dispatch -- where cars and bikes zooming around town must constantly squawk to each other about where they are and what they're up to."[5]
In the company's early days, Dorsey worked as the CEO but was replaced by Evan Williams in 2008. Dick Costolo took on that role from 2010 to 2015, when Dorsey returned as Twitter's CEO.[6] The company's focus shifted under Williams, who transformed Twitter's role from a status-posting site to a service that fostered social commentary: "Twitter was a service for people to talk about what was going on around them, to share news and information. It was when Williams explained this concept — eventually saying Twitter was about 'what’s happening' — that many in the industry, including those who once dismissed it, started to understand its potential."[7]
Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion in 2022.[2] When Musk aquired Twitter, he also took the company private. In July 2023, Musk announced that Twitter was rebranding to X.[3]
Work and activities
Presidential debates (2015-2016)
- See also: Presidential debates (2015-2016)
Along with CBS News, KCCI-TV and The Des Moines Register, Twitter sponsored the Democratic presidential debate on November 14, 2015. Of the partnership with CBS News, the news organization said, "CBS News is so pleased to partner with Twitter on our Democratic debate. Our people have worked with Twitter’s unique curator tools to measure changing responses to what viewers will see on the screen."[8]
Noteworthy events
Elon Musk's aquisition in 2022
In October 2022, Tesla and SpaceX Ceo Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion and took the company private. In a tweet addressed to Twitter advertised posted on October 27, 2022, Musk wrote,
| “ |
I wanted to reach out personally to share my motivation in aquiring Twitter. There has been much speculation about why I bought Twitter and what I think about advertising. Most of it has been wrong. The reason I aquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence. There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far right wing and far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society. In the relentless pursuit of clicks, much of traditional media has fueled and catered to those polarized extremes, as they believe that is what brings in the money, but, in doing so, the opportunity for dialogue is lost. That is why I bought Twitter. I didn't do it because it would be easy. I didn't do it to make more money. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love. And I do so with humility, recognizing that failure in pursuing this goal, despite our best efforts, is a very real possibility. That said, Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences! In addition to adhering to the laws of the land, our platform must be warm and welcoming to all, where you can choose your desired experience according to your preferences, just as you can choose, for example, to see movies or play video games ranging from all ages to mature. I also very much believe that advertising, when done right, can delight, entertain and inform you; it can show you a service or product or medical treatment that you never knew existed, but it right for you. For this to be true, it is essential to show Twitter users advertising that is as relevant as possible to their needs. Low relevancy ads are spam, but highly relevant ads are actually content! Fundamentally, Twitter aspires to be the most respected advertising platform in the world that strengthens your brand and grows your enterprise. To everyone who has partnered with us, I thank you. Let us build something extraordinary together.[9] |
” |
| —Elon Musk[10] | ||
Noteworthy endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Finances
The following is a breakdown of X (formerly Twitter's) revenues from 2021 to 2024, according to Forbes
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $3.4 billion |
| 2023 | $4.4 billion |
| 2022 | $5.1 billion |
| 2021 | $3.7 billion |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms X. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ CNN, "#WOW! Twitter soars 73% in IPO," November 7, 2013
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 New York Times, "Elon Musk Completes $44 Billion Deal to Own Twitter," October 27, 2022
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 NBC News, "Twitter rebrands to 'X' as Elon Musk loses iconic bird logo," July 24, 2023
- ↑ Associated Press, "Elon Musk says he’s moving SpaceX, X headquarters from California to Texas," July 16, 2025
- ↑ LA Times, "Twitter creator Jack Dorsey illuminates the site's founding document. Part I," February 18, 2009
- ↑ Fortune, "Let's remember why Jack Dorsey was fired as Twitter's CEO," September 30, 2015
- ↑ The New York Times, "All Is Fair in Love and Twitter," October 9, 2013
- ↑ Observer, "How to Live Stream CBS News’ Democratic Debate on Saturday," November 10, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ X, "Elon Musk," accessed December 5, 2025
| |||||||
