In a sweeping rebranding move announced over the weekend on the social media site, Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, officially replaced the company’s iconic bird logo with an “X” on Monday.
After acquiring the platform for $44 billion in late last year, Musk announced in a post on Sunday that the Twitter brand and the bird-related elements would gradually be phased out. He stated that the company would bid farewell to the Twitter brand. On Monday, the domain X.com started directing users to Twitter’s homepage, coexisting with the continued operation of Twitter.com. While the branding in the mobile app has not yet changed for many users, the transition is underway as part of Musk’s rebranding strategy.
The transformation from Twitter to X aligns with Musk’s vision of transforming the platform into an all-encompassing “everything app.” In a post on Sunday, Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino emphasized that X will revolve around audio, video, messaging, payments, and banking. Additionally, the platform will leverage the capabilities of artificial intelligence to enhance its functionalities and user experience. This rebranding move represents an ambitious step towards expanding the platform’s offerings and integrating diverse features, aiming to create a more comprehensive and versatile digital ecosystem for its users.
The transition to X began in April when court filings revealed that Twitter Inc. changed its name to X Corp. Elon Musk, serving as executive chairman and CTO, announced on Monday that tweets would now be referred to as “x’s.” However, when questioned about what retweets would be called, he suggested that the concept should be reconsidered, leaving room for further development and adaptation in the rebranding process.
On Monday, he posted a picture of the X logo projected onto the company’s headquarters.
Our headquarters tonight pic.twitter.com/GO6yY8R7fO
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 24, 2023
The CEO of Tesla tweeted on Sunday expressing his fondness for the letter “x,” and this preference is not new, as it is evident in his other business ventures as well. Musk’s rocket manufacturing company, SpaceX, also prominently features an X in its logo. Additionally, he recently launched an ambitious artificial intelligence startup called xAI, with the lofty objective of “understanding the true nature of the universe.” Musk’s inclination towards the letter “x” seems to be a recurring theme in his business endeavors, as he continues to explore and push the boundaries of various industries.
In addition, Musk was the founder of X.com, which later merged with Confinity and underwent a rebranding to become PayPal in 2001. Interestingly, in 2017, Musk repurchased the domain X.com from PayPal. This move showcases his continued association with the “X” branding and reflects his strategic interest in securing the iconic domain name for potential future endeavors.
