Twitter Engineering Chief Resigns Day After DeSantis Campaign Launch Glitches

A senior Twitter engineer resigned on Thursday following glitches that marred the highly anticipated Twitter Spaces event in which Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his presidential bid.

Foad Dabiri, whose LinkedIn profile says he is Twitter’s engineering lead for growth, announced his resignation but did not mention what prompted the move.

In his resignation statement, Dabiri reflected on his time at Twitter, which he divided into two distinct eras: pre- and post-acquisition by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk last year.

“After almost four incredible years at Twitter, I decided to leave the nest yesterday,” Dabiri wrote in a heartfelt message offering gratitude to colleagues.

Both eras, he said, “came with their fair share of challenges, but they also shared a grand mission and a team of extraordinary individuals,” he said.

During the “Twitter 2.0” phase under Musk’s leadership, the company underwent significant changes aimed at achieving profitability, resulting in a substantial reduction in the workforce within the initial months.

Musk said in a Fox News interview that Twitter runs fine without as many staff now that it’s not operating as a censorship machine against conservative voices.

“Working with @elonmusk has been highly educational, and it was enlightening to see how his principles and vision are shaping the future of this company,” Dabiri said.

Dabiri said it was an “extraordinary journey” with Musk at the helm. However, he described the period of staff layoffs as a challenging time, highlighting the resilience and strength demonstrated by the team during this transformative phase.

“The change was massive and rapid; we came through and emerged stronger, thanks to the remarkable team that held the fort,” he said.

The Epoch Times contacted Dabiri for comment.

DeSantis Campaign Launch

The livestream event on Twitter featuring DeSantis faced significant disruptions and delays on Wednesday owing to a surge in user participation.

Hosted on Twitter Spaces by Musk and tech entrepreneur David Sacks, the event encountered intermittent sound issues during its initial moments.

With over 500,000 Twitter users joining the event, it was eventually paused and then restarted, causing a delay of nearly half an hour before DeSantis could deliver his announcement.

The event resumed through Sacks’s account, and Musk speculated that the technical difficulties might have been related to hosting the event on his own account, which boasts over 100 million followers, potentially straining Twitter’s systems.

On Twitter Spaces, DeSantis declared, “I am running for president of the United States to lead our great American comeback.”

DeSantis highlighted several key issues motivating his decision to run, including the crisis at the southern border, escalating crime in cities, financial struggles faced by families striving for a middle-class lifestyle, and his perception of the current president’s ineffective response to these challenges.

DeSantis’s choice to announce his bid on Twitter was unconventional. However, he has been a strong critic of establishment media outlets. Musk has positioned Twitter as an alternative to mainstream media and a new home for journalism.

DeSantis is the strongest GOP contender behind former President Donald Trump, who announced his bid from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, live-streamed by Fox News.

The other Republican contenders include former U.N. Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, business mogul Vivek Ramaswamy, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. Former Vice President Mike Pence is considering a run.