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Case Study

Has Elon Musk X’d out?

By Stefan Michel and Kathe Sweeney

23 pages

February 2024

Reference: IMD-7-2537

In 2022, Elon Musk, known for his innovative ideas and often compared to Steve Jobs, made a big move by buying Twitter for $44 billion. He then started transforming the microblogging platform, rebranding it as “X.” His goal was to turn Twitter into a super app like WeChat in Asia, combining many services like messaging, shopping and payments into one platform. This change was aimed at making Twitter more than just a place to post short messages, but a hub for various digital activities. The case study explores why Musk decided to take this bold step. It looks at the benefits he expected by bringing different digital services together. However, Musk faced many challenges during this transformation. The study discusses the impact of his decisions, including cutting down the workforce, changing policies and the reactions from users, advertisers and regulators. These issues show how difficult it is to change a well-known social media platform. Additionally, the study examines the problems Musk encountered in trying to make Twitter like WeChat in Western countries, where the digital environment is different from Asia. It considers what this big change could mean for the future of social media, online privacy and e-commerce, suggesting how this kind of transformation could change the way people use digital platforms. In short, “Has Elon Musk X’d Out?” provides a detailed look at Elon Musk’s attempt to reshape Twitter. It gives insights into the challenges of creating a super app in the West and discusses the transformation’s possible effects on the digital and social media world.

Learning Objective

Analyze the business model of an organization before and after a transformation.
Assess if the mission and the business model of an organization are aligned.
Analyze the elements of a new brand using Keller’s brand pyramid.
Infer the leadership style of a leader based on public statements and their actions.
Discuss how the mission (why?), the business model (what?) and the leadership style (how?) are interrelated.

Keywords

Strategy, Digital Transformation, Entrepreneurship, General Management, Leadership, Organizational Behavior, Social Media, Business Model, Silicon Valley, Musk, Elon

Settings

World/global, United States of America
X (Former Twitter), Social Media
2022-2023

Type

Published Sources

Available Languages

English

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Teaching note

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