According to reports, after completing the $44 billion acquisition of Twitter, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is expected to serve as Twitter CEO on an interim basis for several months. After that, he may have to name a permanent CEO for Twitter, or at least bring in a deputy to help manage day-to-day operations. Who will this person be?
More likely, Musk will seek out media, social media, or AI expertise from his inner circle of executives, or from investors in his many companies (Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralin, etc.) people. These include PayPal co-founder Ken Howery, former Zenefits CEO David Sacks and Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis Wait.
Here’s a list of candidates that might come to Musk’s mind:
PayPal co-founder Ken Howery
- Pros: Close relationship with Musk, expertise in payments.
- Cons: No previous CEO experience.
Sam Teller, Partner, Valor Equity Partners
- Pros: Trustworthy, with work experience at multiple companies led by Musk.
- Cons: No previous CEO experience or experience in the social media business.
Luke Nosek, Gigafund Managing Partner
- Pros: Musk’s friend with marketing and strategy experience.
- Cons: Lack of advertising experience.
David Sacks, co-founder of Craft Ventures
- Pros: Experience working as a CEO, shared views with Musk on what should be allowed on Twitter.
- Cons: Sachs says he’s a VC, not a (CEO) candidate.
Jesse Angelo, President, Vice Media News and Entertainment
- Pros: Angelo’s experience with advertising would be a plus if Musk leans toward Twitter’s subscription model and incorporates a news product into his product. Also, his expertise in media could be important. In May 2021, Twitter acquired Scroll, a product that makes it easier to read long-form news online.
- Cons: Advertising and news may not be central to Musk’s plans for Twitter.
Shivon Zilis, Director of Operations and Special Projects, Neuralink
- Pros: Experience investing in and advising artificial intelligence (AI) companies.
- Cons: No previous CEO experience.
Adam Bain, co-founder and managing partner, Advisors
- Pros: Familiar with the inner workings of Twitter, an experienced salesperson and advertiser relationship builder.
- Cons: Musk probably doesn’t want to name any of the former Twitter executives.