Elon Musk’s Twitter Outage Sparks Debate on Work Culture
Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) experienced a major outage, reigniting discussions about the platform’s reliability and the intense work expectations often associated with Musk’s leadership. As users struggled to access the social media site, Musk publicly committed to a “24/7 work mode” to address the issue (1,2).
What Caused the Latest Twitter Outage?
The outage was traced to internal backend disruptions, reportedly stemming from a data center failure—possibly linked to a fire at a leased facility in Hillsboro, Oregon (3). Exact technical details remain limited, but users worldwide reported being unable to log in, experiencing delayed notifications, and encountering app crashes (2,3). These disruptions have raised fresh concerns about X’s infrastructure under Musk’s stewardship.
Key Issues Reported
- Login Failures – Many users couldn’t access their accounts (2,3).
- Delayed Notifications – Real-time updates were significantly slowed (2).
- App Crashes – Some mobile users experienced sudden shutdowns (3).
This incident follows a series of technical difficulties since Musk’s takeover, highlighting ongoing infrastructural challenges (3).
Musk’s Response: 24/7 Work Mode
In response to the outage, Elon Musk announced he would personally return to “spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference/server/factory rooms” to help resolve the issue (1,2). While Musk’s leadership style is known for demanding intense commitment, there is no direct evidence that all engineers were explicitly ordered into a 24/7 work mode for this particular outage.
Work Culture and Employee Concerns
- Burnout Concerns – In the past, some engineers have voiced concerns over grueling work expectations and a “hardcore” work culture (4).
- Work-Life Balance – Critics have argued Musk’s approach can disregard employee well-being, with some employees describing the environment as “toxic” and warning potential hires to “stay away from Twitter 2.0” (4).
- High Turnover – Since Musk’s acquisition, X has seen significant staff departures, with headcount dropping from 7,500 to about 1,300 full-time employees, many leaving after being asked to sign a pledge for “extreme hardcore” work (5).
While Musk’s “all hands on deck” philosophy may offer quick fixes, it has sparked ongoing debate about its long-term effects on employee morale and retention (4,5).
Twitter’s Future Under Musk
The latest incident raises questions about the long-term stability of the platform.
Key Challenges Ahead
- Infrastructure Stability – Can X handle increasing demand without frequent outages (3)?
- User Trust – Will the platform retain users amid ongoing technical issues (2,3)?
- Leadership Criticisms – Will Musk reconsider his demanding work policies to retain talent (4,5)?
Conclusion
X’s latest outage highlights both the fragility of the platform and the ongoing debate over work culture under Elon Musk. While his aggressive, hands-on approach may deliver rapid solutions, the sustainability of such methods—and the platform itself—remains uncertain (1,2,3,4,5).
The big question: Can X maintain its relevance if outages and internal turmoil continue? Only time will tell.
Would you stick with X despite these issues? Let us know in the comments!
Citations:
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/unhappy-with-twitter-outage-elon-musk-announces-back-to-spending-24/7-at-work-and-sleeping-in-/articleshow/121395525.cms
- https://www.stabroeknews.com/2025/05/26/news/world/musk-says-hell-resume-working-24-7-at-his-companies-x-outage-mostly-restored/
- https://www.purevpn.com/blog/news/x-faces-global-outage-amid-data-center-fire-and-cybersecurity-concerns/
- https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/twitter-employees-say-work-culture-under-elon-musk-toxic-warn-techies-to-stay-away-2308138-2022-12-12
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/gadgets-news/from-7500-employees-to-just-1300-the-elon-musk-effect-at-twitter/articleshow/97194833.cms
