Elon Musk has said that he will make his own smartphone if Twitter is banned from Apple and Google app stores, as he tries to make his new acquisition a success.
Musk, 51, bought Twitter for $44 billion in October and the business magnate hasn't been far from the headlines since. Whether it's restoring accounts of previously banned controversial figures, giving his staff "insane productivity" rules, or laying off a number of staff members, the 51-year-old has certainly made an impression on his new company.
Several celebrities have reportedly left the site since Musk's takeover, including Whoopi Goldberg, Gigi Hadid, and Captain Sully.
In any case, it would appear that the new Twitter owner has a plan up his sleeve in the event that Twitter were to be removed from Apple and Google app stores - and it would be another huge investment from the self-dubbed "Chief Twit".
Conservative podcaster Liz Wheeler proposed the idea of a new smartphone in a tweet directed to Musk, saying: "If Apple and Google boot Twitter from their app stores, Elon Musk should produce his own smartphone.
"Half the country would happily ditch the biased, snooping iPhone and Android. The man builds rockets to Mars, a silly little smartphone should be easy, right?"
The tweet got the billionaire's attention and he responded: "I certainly hope it does not come to that, but, yes, if there is no other choice, I will make an alternative phone."
US non-profit Media Matters for America reported that half of Twitter's top 100 advertisers have stopped ads on the site. These advertisers account for nearly $2 billion in spending on the site since 2020.
Musk has already knocked relations with both Apple and Google, after stating that app store fees are too high due to the iOS and Android "duopoly".
Apple has deleted all of its previous tweets which could potentially indicate a rift between the company and the social media platform since the 'Chief Twit' took charge.
Musk's suggestion that a new smartphone could be created was met with a mixed reaction, with one person tweeting: "Raise your hand if you think @elonmusk should make an alternative phone regardless," and another stating: "I'm glad things are working so well at Twitter that you're going to create a new phone to host it just in case no one else will."
Whether this is just an idea, or an actual plan is yet to be seen.
