Elon Musk Goes All-In On San Francisco Criticism After Twitter Acquisition — City Leaders Say 'Cheap Shots' Not Helping

Twitter owner and billionaire Elon Musk has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with the state of San Francisco, where Twitter’s headquarters is located.

Musk, who has over 144 million followers on Twitter, has described the city as “post-apocalyptic” and has even suggested that the city could serve as a backdrop for a Walking Dead episode, The Wall Street Journal reports.

You could literally film a Walking Dead episode unedited in downtown SF.

This is where San Francisco politics leads and Twitter was exporting this self-destructive mind virus to the world.

With some exceptions, other tech companies are still doing so.

Evil in guise of good.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 1, 2023

Twitter’s Future in San Francisco

Musk has raised concerns about Twitter’s future in the city, hinting at the possibility of the company leaving San Francisco. His criticisms add to the pressure on local officials who are grappling with a downtown area struggling to recover from the pandemic and plagued by crime, drug use, and homelessness, according to the Journal.

So many stores shuttered in downtown SF. Feels post-apocalyptic.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 4, 2023

Many Twitter employees feel unsafe coming to work in downtown SF and have had their car windows smashed.

They also got such a null response from the police that they rarely even bother reporting crimes anymore, because nothing happens.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 15, 2023

City Leaders Respond

City leaders, however, have defended San Francisco, arguing that it is being unfairly portrayed as unsafe. Dean Preston, a member of the city’s Board of Supervisors, criticized Musk’s comments, stating that tech billionaires should offer solutions rather than just criticisms.

“I don't think cheap shots on San Francisco by Elon Musk—or any of his fellow billionaires—is helpful to the city,” Preston said.

Musk’s Criticisms

Musk’s criticisms have come amid high-profile crimes in the city, including a mass shooting that injured nine people last month. He has also criticized the city’s response to the fentanyl crisis and the homelessness situation, according to WSJ.

Reactions to Musk’s Comments

Some of Musk’s comments have sparked backlash, including from District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who criticized Musk for making “reckless and irresponsible statements” about the death of tech executive Bob Lee. Musk’s criticisms of Mayor London Breed also drew attention, leading to a probe into potential building-code violations at Twitter.

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