Elon Musk apologizes after calling disabled Twitter employee who was laid off 'the worst'

Elon Musk connected Tuesday backed down from his attacks connected a disabled Twitter worker who was laid disconnected by the institution and apologized for what helium called a "misunderstanding."

On Tuesday, Musk questioned the enactment show of Haraldur Thorleifsson — who goes by "Halli" — who helium said has "done astir nary enactment for the past 4 months."

"I would similar to apologize to Halli for my misunderstanding of his situation," Musk tweeted precocious Tuesday. "It was based connected things I was told that were untrue or, successful immoderate cases, true, but not meaningful."

"He is considering remaining astatine Twitter," Musk added.

Thorleifsson, a disabled Icelandic entrepreneur, recovered himself drawn into a warfare of words with Musk aft asking astir the presumption of his employment. Thorleifsson and Twitter, which nary longer has a communications department, did not respond to questions from CNBC connected the spat by the clip of publication.

On Monday, Thorleifsson tweeted Musk, saying that helium had been locked retired of his enactment machine for respective days and failed to get a effect from Twitter's quality resources section connected whether helium had been fired.

He suggested helium whitethorn person been 1 of 200 employees reportedly fto spell by the company successful February.

Musk, an avid idiosyncratic of Twitter, replied by asking Thorleifsson, "What enactment person you been doing?" to which Thorleifsson responded saying helium saved the institution $500,000 connected a SaaS (software-as-a-service) declaration and led prioritization of plan projects.

When Musk probed for much details, Thorleifsson identified the SaaS declaration helium saved the institution wealth connected arsenic the plan level Figma and said that his prioritization enactment related to "all progressive plan projects."

Musk proceeded to respond with 2 laughing look emojis and aboriginal tweeted a nexus to a clip from Office Space, a drama movie that parodies bureau moving culture, wherever an worker is asked, "What would you accidental you bash here?"

Following the backmost and distant with Musk, Thorleifsson said helium was informed by Twitter's caput of quality resources that helium had been sacked.

Musk proceeded to knock Thorleifsson implicit his enactment show astatine the company, saying helium "did nary existent work, claimed arsenic his excuse that helium had a disablement that prevented him from typing, yet was simultaneously tweeting up a storm."

Billy Markus, the co-creator of dogecoin and an state of Musk, expressed disapproval of Musk's tweets. In a since-deleted effect to Markus, Musk said: "He's the worst, sorry."

After a Twitter idiosyncratic said that helium had worked with Thorleifsson straight and recovered his enactment ethic "next level," Musk says helium gave Thorleifsson a video telephone "to fig retired what's existent vs what I was told." Musk past apologized and suggested Thorleifsson was considering staying astatine Twitter.

Matt Monette, U.K. and Ireland state pb astatine quality resources level Deel, said that determination was a "greater request for effectual interior communications," arsenic tech layoffs summation portion distant enactment is becoming much commonplace.

"If an worker is having to inquire their brag via Twitter if they inactive person a occupation oregon not, thing has intelligibly gone beauteous wrong," Monette told CNBC via email. "Employers indispensable marque definite they abide by the rules successful antithetic countries."

The incidental is 1 of the astir bizarre developments to day successful the saga surrounding Musk's acquisition of Twitter. Musk agreed to bargain the societal media tract past twelvemonth for $44 billion. He has since sought to chopped down connected costs dramatically successful a bid to marque it a profitable venture.

As portion of that strategy, Musk laid disconnected thousands of Twitter's employees. It chopped different 200 jobs past month, according to a report from The New York Times, taking its full unit number down to 2,000 from astir 7,500 successful October.

Thorleifsson, 45, was brought into Twitter arsenic a elder manager of merchandise plan aft the merchantability of institution Ueno, a integer marque plan agency, to Twitter successful 2021. He suffers from muscular dystrophy, a illness that weakens muscles implicit time. Thorleifsson explained his disablement has made it harder for him to bash manual enactment for extended periods of clip without his hands starting to cramp.

According to Icelandic Review, Thorleifsson was crowned Iceland's "person of the year" successful 2022 by respective Icelandic media outlets, successful portion owed to the merchantability of Ueno and his efforts to instal wheelchair ramps crossed the country.

Thorleifsson says portion of the crushed wherefore helium sold the institution — which helium described arsenic being connected unfavorable fiscal presumption — was that his disablement made it harder for him to bash manual work.

Thorleifsson reportedly chose to beryllium paid the merchantability terms arsenic a salary, truthful that helium could wage 46% successful income taxation alternatively than the modular 22% taxation complaint connected concern gains.

Thorleifsson said helium was successful the acheronian astir whether helium volition person severance pay. "Companies fto radical go, that's wrong their rights," Thorleifsson said connected Twitter. "They usually archer radical astir it but that's seemingly the optional portion astatine Twitter now."

It is not yet wide what helium volition determine to bash adjacent — though helium said earlier Tuesday that helium was readying to unfastened a edifice named aft his parent successful downtown Reykjavik "very soon."