TOPLINE As part of a significant revamp revealed over the weekend, Elon Musk replaced Twitter's recognizable blue bird logo with a "X" on Monday. This move moves the platform one step closer to the billionaire's goal of building a "everything app."
Twitter's former blue bird logo and the new X logo, both changed by Elon Musk. GETTY IMAGES/NURPHOTO

TOPIC FACTS
On the platform's web version, the modification was visible on Monday morning.

The bird has been replaced with the new logo, which is a stylised "X" in white on a black backdrop, as the badge designating an account connected to a corporate employee.

Twitter's official account, formerly known as @Twitter, has also undergone a name change as part of the makeover and is now known as "X," with "What's happening?!" written in the bio and only the new logo serving as the profile image.

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Other Twitter accounts appear to be changing, with the main support account (@TwitterSupport) still displaying the blue bird at the time of writing while accounts for creators (@TwitterCreators) and verification (@verified) have undergone changes.

Although it appears that mobile apps still include the blue bird, it is probable that this will change once they are updated.

PEG NEWS
It is surprising and obvious that Musk would decide to replace the trademark bird of Twitter. On the one hand, Larry, as the character is known, has represented Twitter for more than ten years, and his features, such as color and "tweets," pervade the entire platform. On the other hand, he is getting rid of one of the company's most identifiable assets. However, Musk has been upfront about his desire to turn Twitter into a "everything app" called "X," similar to Chinese internet giant WeChat. Though they were mainly back end modifications that didn't have much of an influence on users, concrete efforts had already been taken toward this goal, such as changing the company name to X Corp. Over the weekend, Musk accelerated the shift by announcing that "X.com" would now redirect to Twitter and foreseeing that "soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds." Musk chose to crowdsource Twitter, or X's new logo from his followers in a departure from the deliberate, glacial, and frequently subdued rebrandings of many businesses. Later, he posted a picture of the new logo that had been projected onto the corporate offices.

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ESSENTIAL QUOTE
X is present! Let's do this, Linda Yaccarino, the newly appointed CEO, tweeted. According to Yaccarino, it is "exceptionally rare" to get a second chance to leave a lasting impression, but Twitter has that opportunity with X. The team is "just getting started," she stated, adding that there is "no limit to this transformation."

VALUED BY FORBES
$236.5 bln. Our real-time tracker indicates that Musk is worth that according to Forbes. He ranks first on Forbes' list of the richest persons in the world thanks to his wealth. Musk's wealth is primarily derived from his ownership of electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla and the group of successful businesses he cofounded, including rocket company SpaceX, brain implant provider Neuralink, and tunneling company Boring Company. In 2022, he controversially paid $44 billion to acquire Twitter, after which he began a series of radical changes, including reducing staff and moderating content and verification procedures.

ADDITIONAL READING
Elon Musk Plans To Ditch Twitter Bird And Directs X.com To Twitter (Forbes)

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