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Elon Musk’s rejection of Twitter’s Board causes staff to get “super stressed” on monthly “day of rest”

Credit: The Verge

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Twitter employees had Monday off for their monthly “day of rest,” which the social media company provides. This month, however, the “day of rest” was not very restful, as some employees noted that Elon Musk’s recent moves within the company were on their minds. Some have even noted that the vibe among Twitter staff has been “super stressed.” 

Elon Musk had taken a 9.2% stake on Twitter, becoming the company’s single largest shareholder. Following this, it was announced that the Tesla and SpaceX CEO would be joining Twitter’s Board of Directors. Twitter seemed to be confident that Musk would accept a seat on its Board, so much so that the social media company listed the Tesla CEO as a Board Member on its investor relations website. 

On late Sunday, however, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal announced that Musk had declined his Board appointment. Interestingly enough, being one of Twitter’s Board members would have meant that Musk would not be able to purchase more than 14.9% of Twitter’s stock. By declining his seat, Musk would now be free to acquire more of the company. 

As per a Bloomberg report, these decisions by Elon Musk have caused some whiplash among Twitter staff. Individuals familiar with the social media company’s operations informed the news outlet that the vibe among workers at Twitter has become “super stressed,” with employees “working together to help each other get through the week.” One Twitter employee reportedly stated that Musk was “just getting started, which is unfortunate,” while others stated that the situation had become a “sh*t-show.” 

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Rumman Chowdhury, a director on Twitter’s AI research team, shared her thoughts on the matter in a series of posts on the social media platform. According to Chowdhury, Musk’s effect on the company bothered her greatly, especially as the CEO’s supporters started posting criticisms of Twitter employees. She also noted that Twitter had a “beautiful culture of constructive criticism” that was disrupted by Musk and his supporters’ recent sentiments. 

“This is going to sound funny but Musk’s immediate chilling effect was something that bothered me significantly. Twitter has a beautiful culture of hilarious constructive criticism, and I saw that go silent because of his minions attacking employees,” Chowdhury said. In a later response to a post asking if she feared a hostile takeover from the Tesla CEO, Chowdhury noted that “It would be interesting to see how he’d run a company with no employees.”

Matt Navarra, a social media consultant, stated that by declining a seat on Twitter’s Board, Musk had become even more of a wild card. “This decision by Elon does not bode well for Twitter. Twitter thought having Trump on the platform was tough. Elon Musk is going to be a corporate nightmare,” Navarra said. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Elon Musk

Tesla and xAI team up on massive new project

It is the latest move by a Musk company to automate, streamline, and reduce the manual, monotonous, and tedious work currently performed by humans through AI and robotics development. Digital Optimus will be capable of processing and actioning the past five seconds of a real-time computer screen video and keyboard and mouse actions.

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Credit: Grok

Elon Musk teased a massive new project, to be developed jointly by Tesla and xAI, called “Digital Optimus” or “Macrohard,” the first development under Tesla’s investment agreement with xAI.

Musk announced on X that Digital Optimus will “be capable of emulating the function of entire companies.”

It is the latest move by a Musk company to automate, streamline, and reduce the manual, monotonous, and tedious work currently performed by humans through AI and robotics development. Digital Optimus will be capable of processing and actioning the past five seconds of a real-time computer screen video and keyboard and mouse actions.

Essentially, it will be an AI version of a desk worker in many capacities, including accounting, HR tasks, and others.

Musk said:

“Grok is the master conductor/navigator with deep understanding of the world to direct digital Optimus, which is processing and actioning the past 5 secs of real-time computer screen video and keyboard/mouse actions. Grok is like a much more advanced and sophisticated version of turn-by-turn navigation software. You can think of it as Digital Optimus AI being System 1 (instinctive part of the mind) and Grok being System 2. (thinking part of the mind).”

Its key applications would be used for enterprise automation, simulating entire companies, high-volume repetitive tasks, and potentially, future hybrid use with the Optimus robot, which would handle physical tasks, while Digital Optimus would handle the clerical work.

Tesla announces massive investment into xAI

The creation of a digital AI suite like Digital Optimus would help companies save time and money, as well as become more efficient in their operations through massive scalability. However, there will undoubtedly be concerns from people who are skeptical of a fully-integrated AI workhorse like this one.

From an energy consumption perspective and just a general concern for the human workforce, these types of AI projects are polarizing in nature.

However, Digital Optimus would be a great digital counterpart to Tesla’s physical Optimus robot, as it would be a hyper-efficient addition to any company that is looking for more production for less cost.

Musk maintains that there is no other company on Earth that will be able to do this.

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Tesla China posts strong February wholesale growth at Gigafactory Shanghai

The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.

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Credit: Grace Tao/Weibo

Tesla China sold 58,599 vehicles wholesale in February, reflecting strong year-over-year growth. The figure includes both domestic deliveries in China and vehicles exported to international markets.

The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.

Tesla’s February wholesale result represents a 91% increase year over year, compared with 30,688 vehicles in February 2025. Month over month, the result was down 15.2% from January, when Tesla China recorded 69,129 wholesale units.

The February total reflects combined sales of the Model 3 and Model Y produced at Gigafactory Shanghai. The facility produces the two vehicles for both domestic sales and exports.

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Gigafactory Shanghai continues to serve as Tesla’s primary vehicle export hub, supplying vehicles to markets across Asia and Europe. Data compiled by Tesla watchers shows that 18,485 vehicles were sold domestically in China in January 2026, while exports accounted for 50,644 units during the same period.

Tesla has also been extending financing programs in China as it pushes to strengthen domestic demand. The company recently extended its seven-year ultra-low-interest and five-year interest-free financing programs through March 31, marking the second extension of the promotion this year.

The financing initiative was first introduced on January 6 as a strategy aimed at offsetting higher ownership costs ahead of China’s planned 5% NEV purchase tax in 2026. The promotion was originally scheduled to expire at the end of January before being extended to February and then again through the end of the first quarter.

Tesla’s efforts come amid growing competition in China’s EV market. According to data compiled by CNEV Post, Tesla’s 2025 retail sales in China reached 625,698 vehicles, representing a 4.78% year-over-year decline. Part of that decline was linked to the Model Y changeover to its updated variant in early 2025, which temporarily reduced deliveries during the transition period.

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Tesla Model Y L spotted on transport trucks in Australia

One of the sightings was reported along Victoria Parade in Melbourne, and it showed multiple Model Y L vehicles on a transport carrier. 

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Tesla’s upcoming Model Y L has been spotted on transport trucks in Australia. Sightings of the six-seat extended wheelbase Model Y variant have been reported on social media platform X by members of the Australian Tesla community.

One of the sightings was reported along Victoria Parade in Melbourne, and it showed multiple Model Y L vehicles on a transport carrier. 

The sighting follows earlier observations by Tesla enthusiasts in Sydney, where a covered vehicle believed to be a Model Y L was spotted at a Supercharger.

The Sydney sighting drew attention after observers noted that the vehicle’s tare weight appeared to match the ADR approval listing for the Model Y L, suggesting it could indeed be the extended wheelbase variant of the electric SUV.

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Tesla has previously confirmed that the Model Y L will launch in Australia and New Zealand in 2026. The confirmation was reported by techAU following a media release from Tesla Australia and New Zealand.

The Model Y L expands the existing Model Y lineup with seating for six passengers. The vehicle features a longer body compared with the standard Model Y in order to accommodate a spacious second and third row.

Tesla has opted for a 2-2-2 seating configuration instead of a traditional seven-seat layout for the Model Y L. The design includes two individual seats in the middle row to provide easier access to the third row and additional passenger space.

Tesla Australia and New Zealand has also stated that the Model Y L will be covered under the company’s updated warranty structure beginning in 2026.

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Tesla has not yet announced pricing or official range figures for the Model Y L in Australia.

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