Jack Dorsey says Elon Musk became 'reckless' and 'impatient' and rushed out new Twitter features that 'weren't thought out'
- Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey recently spoke to the "Breaking Points" YouTube channel.
- In the interview posted Monday, Dorsey reflected on former Twitter CEO Elon Musk's management.
In one of the first interviews Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey has given since he stepped down from Twitter's board last year, he reflected on Elon Musk's run as Twitter CEO, calling some of the moves the billionaire made "fairly reckless."
The former Twitter CEO, who has backed the invite-only, Twitter-alternative Bluesky, spoke with hosts Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti on their "Breaking Points" YouTube channel in an interview posted Monday. In the interview, Dorsey discussed an array of topics, including endorsing presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his concerns about artificial intelligence, and Musk's time running Twitter.
Dorsey said he asked Musk to join Twitter's board many times before Musk joined in April of last year, during which Musk also agreed to buy Twitter.
"Elon is our number one user. He's our number one customer," Dorsey said in the interview. "He understood the platform deeply, and he's a technologist and he builds technology."
But when Musk tried to back out of buying the company, prompting a lawsuit from Twitter, Dorsey said that was "when things really went south."
Musk famously engaged in a back-and-forth on the deal over several months, prompting a lawsuit from Twitter when trying to back out after signing a contract. After realizing he was facing a likely court loss, Musk finalized his purchase and quickly proceeded to cut costs and lay off thousands of Twitter employees.
"I think it set up a dynamic where he had to be very hasty, he had to be impatient, and he had to move as quickly as possible with features even if they weren't fully thought out," Dorsey told Breaking Points. "It all looked fairly reckless."
Although Dorsey didn't mention any specific Twitter features in the interview, Musk has introduced paid Twitter Blue check marks and subscriptions, a feature that trolls quickly used to sow confusion and one that hasn't gained much popularity among users. The social media company has also been pivoting toward building live video products and services on the app. Musk has also been testing out Twitter's Spaces feature, including a glitchy presidential campaign launch with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Dorsey's comments echoed early sentiments he posted on Bluesky in April. On the social media app, Bluesky users asked Dorsey whether he thought Musk was the "best possible" option as CEO for Twitter. In response, Dorsey said: "No. Nor do I think he acted right after realizing his timing was bad. Nor do I think the board should have forced the sale. It all went south."
Dorsey did express support for Twitter's new CEO Linda Yaccarino, who stepped into her new role at the company last week. Musk stepped down from his role as CEO last week, and transitioned to a role as executive chair and chief technology officer at Twitter.
"But I do have confidence that he'll figure it out. I do have confidence in his new CEO," Dorsey said. "I own three percent of this new company, so I'm supportive."
Insider contacted Elon Musk and Twitter for comment. Twitter responded with an automated message that didn't address the inquiry. Musk did not respond to Insider's request for comment.