Elon Musk To Close X’s San Francisco Headquarters

Elon Musk is closing the San Francisco headquarters of X. This move marks the end of an era for the site formerly known as Twitter.

The closure will take place “over the next few weeks,” according to an internal email sent out by CEO Linda Yaccarino. “This is an important decision that impacts many of you, but it is the right one for our company in the long term,” Yaccarino wrote in the email viewed by Fortune.

“We will work to transition to our new primary locations in the Bay Area,” she wrote. “For those based in San Francisco, I know this will impact you all in different ways. Leadership is actively working on plans, including transportation options, for those directly impacted.”

No choice. It is impossible to operate in San Francisco if you’re processing payments.

That’s why Stripe, Block (CashApp) & others had to move.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 5, 2024

The email said some employees will move to existing offices in San Jose. Others will head to “a new engineering focused shared space with xAI [Musk’s AI startup] in Palo Alto.”

Wired reported that when X was Twitter, its offices were located in San Francisco’s SoMa area. The site discussed why the social media juggernaut kept its home base in the area, noting that it didn’t move until 2011, when “then mayor Ed Lee instituted a controversial tax break for tech companies. The ruling erased the 1.5 percent payroll tax for companies that moved into certain Mid-Market buildings. Twitter jumped at the opportunity.”

Now as it moves again, Elon Musk tweeted that the company had “no choice” but to leave. “It is impossible to operate in San Francisco if you’re processing payments. That’s why Stripe, Block (CashApp) & others had to move.”

Many have offered rich incentives for X (fka Twitter) to move its HQ out of San Francisco.

Moreover, the city is in a doom spiral with one company after another left or leaving.

Therefore, they expect X will move too.

We will not.

You only know who your real friends are when…

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2023

Ironically, in July 2023, Musk said on X, “Many have offered rich incentives for X (fka Twitter) to move its HQ out of San Francisco. Moreover, the city is in a doom spiral, with one company after another left or leaving. Therefore, they expect X will move too. We will not. You only know who your real friends are when the chips are down. San Francisco, beautiful San Francisco, though others forsake you, we will always be your friend.”