Elon Musk Slams Twitter Employees With Ultimatum: Prepare to Work 'Extremely Hardcore' or Leave by Thursday The billionaire sent out a memo to employees late Tuesday outlining his vision for the future of employment in the company.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Getty Images

Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter has led to a complete overhaul of internal systems and external products, including mass layoffs and voluntary resignations of top executives and employees who are not privy to Musk's vision for the future of the social media platform.

On Tuesday evening, a leaked memo, titled "A Fork In the Road," was obtained by The Washington Post and quickly shared across social media and other outlets, showing just how intensely he plans to continue his reign as Chief Twit.

In the note, Musk refers to his future plan for the company as "Twitter 2.0" and warned employees that they are expected to be on board — or they can find work elsewhere.

"We will need to be extremely hardcore. This will mean working long hours at high intensity. Only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade," the memo said.

The billionaire went on to explain that the majority of the new Twitter will be "engineering-driven" and although design and project management roles will still be vital, employees working directly with code "will constitute the majority of our team and have the greatest sway."

Musk closed the letter by giving employees an ultimatum — sign a Google form indicating they agree and wish to become a part of "Twitter 2.0" by 5 p.m. ET on Thursday or be terminated and granted three months of severance.

The memo doesn't come as a complete surprise after reports of employees being overworked and terminated for talking negatively about Musk's practices have been pouring in.

Earlier this month, a photo of Esther Crawford, director of product management at Twitter, went viral after she was seen sleeping on the floor of her office in a sleeping bag captioned "when your team is pushing round the clock to make deadlines."

Prior to that, rumors had been swirling that employees were working 12+ hour long days and not being paid overtime for their dedication, fueling the fire that has made his takeover of Twitter anything but smooth sailing.

Musk, however, seems to not be phased by the complaints.

"Twitter feels increasingly alive," the billionaire Tweeted on Sunday.

Read Musk's full memo to employees below.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

She Quit Her Job at Trader Joe's After Starting a Side Hustle With $800 — Then She and Her Brother Grew the Business to $20 Million

Jaime Holm and Matt Hannula teamed up to build a business in an industry that "didn't exist" yet.

Buying / Investing in Business

Former Zillow Execs Target $1.3T Market

Co-ownership is creating big opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Growing a Business

This Local Bakery Has Lines Out the Door. Here Are the Secrets to Its Success.

Known for its viral flat croissants and innovative desserts, Alexander's Patisserie also excels in hands-on leadership and team culture.

Business News

Microsoft Is Laying Off Over 6,000 Employees, About 3% of Its Workforce. Here's Why.

The company said the cuts will affect all divisions and locations, with a focus on managers.

Business News

Nissan Is Doubling Its Initial Layoff Announcement, Cutting 20,000 Jobs: 'A Wake-Up Call'

The automaker is dealing with slowing sales and a recent failed merger with Honda.