Why Hundreds of Workers Are Leaving Twitter

Today is Wednesday. I’m your host, Jordan Parker Erbe. And you, the reader, have a lot of tech news.

But first, with New York City Climate Week underway, I want to highlight a major project for Insider: our inaugural Climate Action 30, a list of global leaders working to address climate issues.

From social media influencers to start-up executives, each of the winners on the list shared their progress towards achieving climate goals. This is a great combination of leaders – well worth reading. Check it out here.

Now, let’s get started.

If this is forwarded to you, register here. Download Insider’s app here.

1. Twitter faces an exodus of hundreds of employees. Two months after Elon Musk announced his intention to buy Twitter for $44 billion, the billionaire spoke directly to the company’s employees. At that meeting, Musk laid out his vision for the company. Hundreds of employees have since fled the social media giant.

• Musk’s meetings with Twitter employees covered everything from aliens to layoffs, but did little to reassure employees, according to people familiar with the matter. Employees have already expressed disappointment with the deal reached in April, with about 100 employees leaving the company in the weeks that followed, sources said.
• The trend of increased employee turnover will only intensify as Musk and Twitter engage in an ongoing legal battle. The company had a net loss of more than 700 full-time employees as of September, according to Twitter employees who asked not to be named.
• But the legal saga is not over. Twitter is about to get its first chance to question Elon Musk, who was sworn in, over his decision to pull out of the deal.

Why employees are leaving Twitter.

In other news:

2. Spotify now offers audiobooks. As the company strives to become a one-stop shop for audio entertainment, Spotify has announced a new audiobook feature that has added more than 300,000 titles. Everything you need to know is here.

3. Why Pittsburgh tech workers choose lesser-known tech hubs. With the market down, some tech workers in Pittsburgh told Insider they’re happy to live in low-cost areas — where the sense of community means they don’t even want to move back to major tech hubs. They describe life outside of Silicon Valley.

4. Starlink will request a waiver of Iran sanctions to provide internet services. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet that the company would “request a waiver of sanctions against Iran.” His tweets follow anti-government protests following the death of a woman in police custody. What we know so far.

5. A former VMware employee explains how they knew they had to leave. The former employee quit their dream job at VMware just 10 days after Broadcom announced plans to buy the company for $61 billion. From uncertainty to sleepless nights, they explain why they left and what it taught them.

6. Mark Zuckerberg lost $70 billion in net worth. The Meta CEO’s net worth has plummeted 55% this year, dropping to No. 20 in the world — well behind Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Why Zuckerberg’s net worth is falling.

7. How much do popular startups pay their employees? Insider analyzed data from Europe’s largest private tech companies operating in the U.S. to see how much startups like Revolut, Klarna and Sorare pay their employees in the U.S. — many of which offer six-figure salaries. Take a look at how much some unicorns pay top talent.

8. We saw Chevrolet’s electric blazer early on. According to GM, the Blazer EV SS is a sleek electric SUV packed with tech and promises to produce 557 horsepower. Check out Chevrolet’s answer to the $66,000 Ford Mustang Mach-E.

odds and ends:

9. Insider’s reporter drove a Tesla Model Y and found six reasons not to buy an electric car. As impressive as it may be, the Model Y SUV isn’t the perfect EV for everyone, especially those looking for simple physical controls. Why Tesla may not be for everyone.

10. We tested the new iPhone 14 series. That’s what stands out. After using the iPhone 14 models for a few days, Insider’s reporters found the Dynamic Island to be a smart – albeit imperfect – addition, and the always-on display works well, but it still needs improvement. Read the full review.

What we watched today:

Check it out and stay up to date with the latest tech news throughout the day Insider’s refresh, Dynamic audio news briefings from the Insider newsroom. Listen here.

Curated by Jordan Parker Erb in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email jerb@insider.com or twitter @jordanparkererb.) Edited by Hallam Bullock (twitter @hallam_bullock) in London.