Henrik Fisker, CEO of Fisker Inc, left Twitter after SpaceX and Tesla CEO, Elon Musk reached a deal to buy the company for $44 billion. Fisker, whose company competes with Tesla, announced that he’d remain active on Instagram, before quitting Twitter. 

Notably, Fisker was formerly a Tesla employee but was later sued over design secrets. He left Musk’s company shortly after joining in 2007 to help with the early design of the Model S. Soon after, Fisker announced plans to design a hybrid sports car called Karma, which led to the Tesla lawsuit claiming he stole confidential information. Fisker later won the case upon arbitration. 

The Tesla rival, which was launched in 2016, has four electric vehicles planned for 2025. 

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Fisker’s departure from the social media platform comes amid Musk asking his worst critics to remain. As a purported champion of free speech, Musk wants to make Twitter more inclusive. However, ex-Reddit CEO Yishan Wong warned Musk that he’s in for a world of pain if he tries to have absolute free speech on Twitter. 

Historically, Musk’s Tesla doesn’t operate on the same principles of free speech as its CEO. Reports suggest that employees have to sign clauses that don’t let them disparage the company after departure. Musk has also clamped down on journalists and analysts focusing on the billionaire’s businesses. Tesla, reportedly, stands accused of asking journalists to sign non-disclosures or provide story drafts prior to submission. 

In China, Tesla also took legal action against customers complaining about vehicle safety. 

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For all of Musk’s words, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has expressed doubts about the direction the company will take. For now, the new Twitter owner is slated to meet employees for a question-and-answer session, where Musk’s vision for the company is expected to become clearer. 

Currently, Musk’s offer to buy Twitter has been supported by ex-CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey, who noted that under Musk and Agrawal’s leadership, the social media company could do better.