The terminations on Twitter continue: Now Esther Crawford has also been caught. The manager was considered the “hardest-working employee” and confidant of Elon Musk – which also made her enemies.
The mood on Twitter has been depressed since Elon Musk took over – hardly surprising given the wave of layoffs he has unleashed. According to the New York Times, around 200 employees were laid off again over the weekend, even though Musk had actually promised to refrain from further layoffs. This means that around three quarters of the workforce have had to leave since October 2022.
Esther Crawford was one of the few who remained loyal to Musk and also built a connection to the new Twitter boss. Before he took over at Twitter, she had already worked in product management, shortly afterwards she was responsible for the further development of the “Twitter Blue” subscription service. In the meantime she had even stayed in the office to meet deadlines. That’s why Crawford was considered the “hardest working employee” on Twitter in the media. But that didn’t protect her from being fired.
Crawford’s role on Twitter has been controversial
On her private Twitter account, Crawford confirmed media reports of her dismissal. “The worst conclusion one could draw from my commitment to Twitter 2.0 is that my optimism or hard work was a mistake,” she explained. “Those who taunt and taunt me are bound to be on the sidelines and not in the arena. I am deeply proud of the team that worked their way through so much noise and chaos.”
Crawford’s role on Twitter over the past few months has been neither easy nor uncontroversial. She was one of the last pre-Musk Twitter proponents – dubbed “Twitter 1.0” – but still worked closely with the billionaire. According to a report by The Verge, in November Crawford defended to colleagues the mass layoffs Musk carried out after his takeover of Twitter.
“Interpreter” for Elon Musk
In addition, Crawford is said to have gained in importance within the company under Musk’s leadership. Just a month ago, the Financial Times captioned a portrait of her, “The Rise of Esther Crawford in Elon Musk’s Hardcore Twitter.” In it, one insider described her as “kind of an interpreter between Elon and the product team,” while another snidely called her a “bootlicker” who “sold her soul.” Now, after a little more than two years on Twitter, the 39-year-old has lost her job – another indication of the chaos that prevails at the short message service.
Esther Crawford reacted calmly to the speculation surrounding her role on Twitter and her sacking after her sacking: “If you can’t bear to be criticized publicly, don’t take chances and stay away from all leadership roles. Don’t build or change anything. Stay small and invisible and above all: be silent and be afraid of what others think.”
Quellen: Esther Crawford auf Twitter / “New York Times” / “The Verge” / “Financial Times”
