It’s been 20 years since the first tweet

Twenty years after Jack Dorsey posted the first tweet—“just setting up my twittr”—the platform originally known as Twitter has undergone significant transformations. Now rebranded as X, the social media service is part of Elon Musk’s broader xAI and SpaceX ventures. Since Musk’s acquisition, the company has experienced major workforce reductions and controversies, including issues surrounding its AI chatbot Grok, which generated harmful content such as sexual deepfakes involving real individuals. Despite retaining a dedicated user base, particularly within the tech community, X faces growing competition from newer platforms like Bluesky and Meta’s Threads. Recent reports indicate that Threads has surpassed X in daily mobile users, highlighting shifting dynamics in the social media landscape. Meanwhile, the original tweet’s status as a digital artifact has fluctuated; Dorsey sold it as an NFT for $2.9 million, but its market value has since declined, with the buyer struggling to resell it. The evolution of Twitter into X reflects broader trends in the tech industry, where social media platforms are increasingly intertwined with AI development and corporate consolidation. Musk’s management style and strategic decisions have sparked debate about the future direction of the platform and its role in public discourse. As competition intensifies and regulatory scrutiny grows, the next phase of X’s development will be closely watched by users, investors, and industry observers alike.