Leaving X can be a tricky decision for brands

On March 21, 2006 the first ever tweet was posted by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey: “Just setting up my twttr”. It was a simple introduction to a brand new platform.

Backed by celebrities, it was different to other social media sites, like MySpace or Facebook, because you could interact with any user without them having to approve a request. Companies rushed to join the service, hoping to get closer to their customers.

“If you were a brand that wanted to be part of any cultural moments that were happening, Twitter was a great place to be,” Alex Wilson, a senior strategist at the marketing agency Pitch tells BBC News.

On June 4, 2010 Elon Musk, the owner of Space X, logged on for the first time: “Please ignore prior tweets, as that was someone pretending to be me 🙂 This is actually me.”

Twelve years later he would buy the platform for $44bn (£38.1bn), reshape the algorithm, reinstate banned accounts, repurpose the policy around “free speech”, and rename it X.

He also fired thousands of staff – around 80% of the workforce.