If you害羞草研究所檙e not told you are fired, are you really fired? At Twitter, probably. And then, sometimes, you get your job back 害羞草研究所� if you want it.

Haraldur Thorleifsson, who until recently was employed at Twitter, logged in to his computer last Sunday to do some work 害羞草研究所� only to find himself locked out, along with 200 others.

He might have figured, as others before him have in the chaotic months of layoffs and firings since Elon Musk took over the company, that he was out of a job.

Instead, after nine days of no answer from Twitter as to whether or not he was still employed, Thorleifsson decided to tweet at Musk to see if he could catch the billionaire害羞草研究所檚 attention and get an answer to his Schr枚dinger害羞草研究所檚 job situation.

害羞草研究所淢aybe if enough people retweet you害羞草研究所檒l answer me here?害羞草研究所� he wrote on Monday.

Eventually, he got his answer after a surreal Twitter exchange with Musk, who proceeded to quiz him about his work, question his disability and need for accommodations (Thorleifsson, who goes by 害羞草研究所淗alli,害羞草研究所� has muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair) and tweet that Thorleifsson has a 害羞草研究所減rominent, active Twitter account and is wealthy害羞草研究所� and the 害羞草研究所渞eason he confronted me in public was to get a big payout.害羞草研究所� While the exchange was going on, Thorleifsson said he received an email that he was no longer employed.

Late Tuesday afternoon, however, Musk had a change of heart.

害羞草研究所淚 would like to apologize to Halli for my misunderstanding of his situation. It was based on things I was told that were untrue or, in some cases, true, but not meaningful,害羞草研究所� he tweeted. 害羞草研究所淗e is considering remaining at Twitter.害羞草研究所�

Thorleifsson did not immediately respond to a message for comment following Musk害羞草研究所檚 tweet. In an earlier email, he called the experience 害羞草研究所渟urreal.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淵ou had every right to lay me off. But it would have been nice to let me know!害羞草研究所� he tweeted to Musk.

Thorleifsson, who lives in Iceland, has about 151,000 Twitter followers (Musk has over 130 million). He joined Twitter in 2021, when the company, under the prior management, acquired his startup Ueno.

He was lauded in Icelandic media for choosing to receive the purchase price in wages rather than a lump sum payout. That害羞草研究所檚 because this way, he would pay higher taxes to Iceland in support of its social services and safety net.

Thorleifsson害羞草研究所檚 next move: 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 opening a restaurant in downtown Reykjavik very soon,害羞草研究所� he tweeted. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 named after my mom.害羞草研究所�

Twitter did not immediately respond to a message for comment.

By Barbara Ortutay

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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