Twitter Inc. users voted for Elon Musk to step down from his role as head of the social platform in a poll the billionaire entrepreneur said he would respect, potentially leaving the company devoid of senior leadership.
About 58% of the 17.5 million votes cast were in favor of Musk stepping back from the leadership role. If Musk heeds the results, it would mark the end of 53 chaotic days at the helm, which has involved dismissing top executives, eliminating roughly half of its employees and spooking advertisers.
Musk, who’s also chief executive officer of Tesla Inc. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp., has dedicated much of his time since acquiring Twitter on Oct. 27 to the social media service, drawing criticism for his abrupt policy changes and neglect of his other businesses. The stock of Tesla, his most valuable holding, has sunk by about a third since the acquisition.