When Elon Musk took over Twitter in a contentious $44 billion acquisition last year, he proclaimed it would become a shining beacon of free speech. But beneath this noble rhetoric lay baser motivations tied to Musk’s bruised ego.

It all began with a college student named Jack Sweeney, who ran a Twitter account tracking Musk’s private jet flights (@ElonJet). This irked Musk, who messaged Sweeney asking him to take down the account over supposed security concerns. Sweeney asked for $50,000 to comply; Musk refused.

According to “Battle for the Bird,” a new book on Musk’s takeover, this beef was the last straw pushing him to buy Twitter. When CEO Parag Agrawal also refused his request to ban @ElonJet, Musk started accumulating Twitter shares in January 2022.

What followed was a hotly contested takeover attempt. Musk offered to buy Twitter outright for $44 billion, and they accepted, he tried to back out, and Twitter sued…ultimately, Musk completed the purchase and took over as the self-proclaimed “Chief Twit” in October 2022.

One of his first acts as CEO? Banning @ElonJet along with several other accounts that had criticized or parodied him. So much for free speech.

In Musk’s hands, Twitter did expand harmful speech via looser moderation policies. But it also became his personal fiefdom to punish critics like Sweeney. For Musk, the line between principles and personal vengeance grew thin. He was now king of the sandbox he felt had wronged him.

This double standard highlights concerns that Musk cares less about Twitter’s open exchange of ideas and more about ego. His thin skin against criticism and willingness to retaliate using his power contradict his stated aims.

Ultimately, Musk’s takeover has proved disastrous for Twitter’s health and Musk’s finances. His net worth cratered $200 billion amidst company chaos.

Perhaps Musk should have let the student track his jet flights be, rather than destroy a company for petty payback. Twitter once held promise as a digital public square; under Musk, it risks becoming just another tyrant’s stomping ground. The bird may have flown freely once, but its wings now bear the marks of its owner’s hands.