Musk draws heat from San Francisco over giant X logo

AFP

A giant, glowing X marks the San Francisco spot where Elon Musk says he plans to keep his company, the messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter. But city officials and some residents are unhappy with the display.

On Friday, the company erected an "X" logo on the roof of its Market Street headquarters, to the chagrin of neighbours who complained about intrusive lights, and San Francisco's Department of Building Inspection which said it is investigating the structure.

The move followed a post from Musk, the enigmatic billionaire who acquired the company in October for $44 billion, announcing the newly named firm would remain in San Francisco despite what he termed the city's recent "doom spiral, with one company after another left or leaving".

Musk, who also is CEO of electric car maker Tesla, moved that company's headquarters from California to Texas in 2021. Keeping X in San Francisco could be a good sign for a city that has struggled to bounce back from tourism and business losses sustained during the pandemic.

Its downtown region is struggling with job cuts in the tech sector, the departure of major retailers, and reduced tourism. Traffic has fallen as more people work from home, while high-profile crime and homelessness have tarnished the city's image.

"Beautiful San Francisco, though others forsake you, we will always be your friend," Musk wrote.

Yet not all San Franciscans are keen on Musk's friendship. Locals over the weekend recorded video of the giant X glowing, pulsing and strobing, with some criticising its intrusive lights.

An X user said they would be "LIVID" over the bright logo, imagining it "right across from your bedroom".

"I'm just astounded at the flagrant lack of consideration for anyone ever," wrote another X user.

San Francisco's Department of Building Inspection, meanwhile, opened an investigation into the structure, saying it might be in violation of permitting rules.

A BID inspector said in a written report that company representatives denied roof access, twice, to BID officials seeking to inspect the logo. The inspector noted one representative said the sign was temporary.

More from Business

  • IDC 2025 discusses global disruptions, defence preparedness

    The International Defence Conference 2025 commenced on Sunday at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, bringing together defence and security leaders, experts, and companies from around the world to discuss key challenges and opportunities in the sector.

  • Dubai Energy Council reviews carbon emissions progress

    Ahmed bin Saeed chaired the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy meeting on Sunday, which reviewed progress in carbon emission reduction technologies in alignment with the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategy and the Dubai Carbon Abatement Strategy 2030.

  • OpenAI board rejects Musk's $97.4 billion offer

    OpenAI has rejected a $97.4 billion (AED 357 billion) bid from a consortium led by billionaire Elon Musk for the ChatGPT maker, saying the startup is not for sale and that any future bid would be disingenuous.

  • AD Ports Group reports net profit of AED 1.78 bln

    AD Ports Group has announced its preliminary unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ending December 2024, and saw revenue increase 48 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to AED 17.29 billion.

  • Air Arabia reports record AED1.6 bln profit in 2024

    Air Arabia has announced its financial and operational results for the full year ending December 31, 2024, posting a record pre-tax net profit of AED 1.6 billion, reflecting a four per cent increase compared to AED 1.5 billion in 2023.