Book Review: 'Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter' by Kate Conger and Ryan Mac
Book Review: 'Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter' by Kate Conger and Ryan Mac
Conger and Mac reveal how Elon Musk’s toxic leadership turned Twitter from a global platform into a playground for extremism.
In Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter, New York Times reporters Kate Conger and Ryan Mac provide readers with a gripping account of how a billionaire with too much power, unchecked ambition, and a right-wing agenda took a once-essential social media platform and ran it into the ground. It’s a thorough, well-researched exploration of the chaos that ensued after Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, which, unsurprisingly, reflects broader issues of unchecked corporate power and tech’s dangerous collision with far-right politics.
The book kicks off with a telling moment that sets the tone for Musk’s leadership (if you can call it that). In a meeting with a data scientist on the verge of resignation, Musk is confronted over his reckless behavior on the platform—specifically, a tweet spreading a right-wing conspiracy theory about the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband. Instead of hearing out the concerns, Musk lashes out. This anecdote encapsulates much of what follows: Musk’s inability to handle criticism, his obsession with asserting dominance, and his growing attachment to far-right ideologies. And while some might find this shocking, anyone who has been paying attention to Musk’s public persona won’t find themselves surprised.
This scene is just one of many that reveal how quickly Musk’s ego and impulsiveness derailed any chance of stabilizing Twitter. Conger and Mac do a fantastic job of painting a clear picture of the absurdity and dysfunction that Musk created. What could have been a moment of reflection or learning becomes yet another example of how power can corrupt when left unchecked, and Musk, through his erratic actions, seems hellbent on proving it.
One of the book’s key strengths lies in its ability to pull back the curtain on what was happening within Twitter’s walls while the world was focused on Musk’s bizarre public persona. We hear about mass layoffs, haphazard policy changes, and a general atmosphere of chaos and fear that permeated the company. People’s lives and livelihoods were thrown into disarray with no warning, and critical teams—like those responsible for platform safety—were gutted in Musk’s misguided attempts to turn Twitter into his personal playground.
But what really stands out about Character Limit is how it doesn’t just focus on the internal drama at Twitter. Conger and Mac go further, making the crucial connection between Musk’s destruction of Twitter and its broader societal impact. They highlight how his actions didn’t just damage the company—he undermined one of the most important platforms for public discourse. In the process, Musk has amplified hate speech, misinformation, and far-right extremism. This is no accident. The book makes it clear that Musk’s embrace of right-wing politics wasn’t just a footnote in his takeover of Twitter—it was a driving force. And it’s not as though this all happened in a vacuum. We’ve seen how Musk’s faux “free speech” agenda, which conveniently mirrors that of the far-right, has played out on the platform, leading to increased harassment, the suppression of left-leaning voices, and the spread of dangerous conspiracy theories.
Conger and Mac present Musk as a deeply flawed individual whose need for control and validation from a specific group of political elites has warped his ability to lead effectively. The more he leaned into far-right conspiracy theories, the worse Twitter became. And in the process, Twitter’s role as a public square began to crumble. This is where the real human cost comes into play—users and employees alike have suffered from the fallout of Musk’s decisions, which have made the platform less safe for marginalized groups, journalists, and activists.
The book isn’t just about Musk’s failures; it’s also a commentary on the dangerous intersection of tech, wealth, and far-right politics. Musk didn’t simply destroy Twitter out of incompetence—he did it while embracing a political ideology that actively works to undermine democracy and public trust. And that’s the scariest part of all: Musk’s destruction of Twitter mirrors a larger trend of unchecked corporate power and growing authoritarianism in America. By handing over control of a major platform to someone like Musk, we’ve essentially allowed one man’s whims to dictate the future of public discourse.
What makes Character Limit particularly compelling is how Conger and Mac avoid the trap of treating Musk as a quirky eccentric who just happens to be running a tech company. Instead, they focus on the real-world consequences of his actions and how they align with his political leanings. Musk isn’t some misunderstood genius—he’s a billionaire whose actions have had real, dangerous consequences for society. And as this book makes clear, his public embrace of far-right politics is not a coincidence; it’s central to understanding why Twitter fell apart so quickly.
For anyone who has followed Musk’s implosion of Twitter in real-time, this book offers validation: Yes, it was every bit as bad as it seemed, and yes, Musk’s leadership was a disaster from the start. The details of internal chaos, the policy reversals, the random firings—they’re all here, laid out in excruciating detail. But the real takeaway is that this is what happens when one man is given too much power without any checks or balances. The absurdity of the situation doesn’t make it any less dangerous.
In Character Limit, Conger and Mac don’t just recount what happened—they offer a critical lens on what Musk’s actions mean for the future of social media, democracy, and public discourse. They leave readers with the unsettling realization that what Musk has done to Twitter is emblematic of a larger societal issue: the concentration of power in the hands of those who are willing to wield it irresponsibly. It’s a cautionary tale, not just about Twitter, but about the future of any platform that plays a critical role in shaping public dialogue.
New York Times reporters provide "a thorough, well-researched exploration"
Guess the check from the attack-the-press-from-the-left industry won't be coming this week.
Congress should be regulating Twitter and its ilk as a public utility. That would require legislators to 1) understand how social media works and 2) give a shit, so yeah, probably not happening.