Twitter chief executive Dick Costolo is resigning, making way for Jack Dorsey’s return as interim CEO, effective 1 July. The management team notified employees of the shakeup during a company-wide meeting held every other week dubbed Tea Time.
According to Mashable, however, Twitter employees are still shocked. One even compared it to a slap in the face: “fast and shocking”, they said.
This has left many wondering who will be next on the Twitter CEO roster. After all, Twitter seems to have a history of quickly passing on the baton. Dorsey, who served as CEO until 2008, was replaced – a move he compared to “a punch in the stomach” – by co-founder Ev Williams. But two years later, Williams stepped down.
But while Dorsey keeps an eye out for candidates, several entrepreneurs and celebrities alike have thrown their hat into the race. Even Snoop Dogg has professed an interest in becoming CEO of Twitter.
The rapper tweeted:
Im ready to lead @twitter !! #SnoopforCEO
— Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg) June 11, 2015
He promptly followed the tweet by announcing that his first task if hired would be to make the business more money. He was immediately given odds of 100/1 by Paddy Power to become the next boss of Twitter.
First order of Business! Get that Moolah! #SnoopforCEO @twitter
— Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg) June 11, 2015
The Guardian found that since the tweet, Twitter’s stock rose by eight per cent. Of course, it’s unclear whether it was actually Dogg’s doing, but it’s a great start in making his case for the role.
Read more on celebrities and business:
- Celebrities are now taking centre stage with apps
- Paid-for celebrity tweets – a lucrative business
- Actress Sadie Frost turns to crowdfunding for her film company
Since then the hashtags #SnoopforCEO and #IfSnoopWasTwitterCEO have gone viral as users back Snoop’s ambition.
Tweets in support quoted Snoop lyrics and puns and quite often referred to marijuana.
#ifSnoopWasTwitterCEO he’d still have his mind on his money and his money on his mind
— Jerzy Jen (@JerzyJen) June 12, 2015
#ifSnoopWasTwitterCEO “hashtags” would only be called “-tags”. All Hash goes to Snoop.
— DJ Jazzy Fish (@CallMeCapnD) June 12, 2015
@SnoopDogg #IfSnoopWasTwitterCEO We’d get retwizzles instead of retweets.
— Vizatic u30dbu30e0u30e9 (@Vizatic) June 12, 2015
Twitter users even suggested how the company’s branding could change were it to hire Dogg. One suggested that the verified symbol wouldn’t be a checkmark, but a weed leaf, while another claimed that the platform’s name would be changed to Barker.
Snoop’s push for the top job at Twitter has so far been backed by some 12.3m followers.
Dorsey claimed that the company was on the look out for someone who used and loved the product in every single way. Surely that classifies Dogg as a potential candidate? For starters, he’s become a presence on the tech scene as an investor. He has a venture capital firm called Casa Verde Capital.
At least one Silicon Valley CEO is convinced. Aaron Levie, CEO of cloud-storage provider Box, tweeted:
At a minimum Snoop should be chair of the audit committee. https://t.co/BbXOG5Aawh
— Aaron Levie (@levie) June 12, 2015
@levie if they don’t step up I know who to hit up next. I’m all about that cloud!
— Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg) June 12, 2015
Investor Peter Thiel suggested that Dogg would be in good company given that “there’s probably a lot of pot-smoking going on” at Twitter.
This wouldn’t be the first time that a rapper landed a high-ranking corporate role. Dr. Dre is the resident “Dr” at Apple, while Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas serves as a business consultant to multinational corporations such as Coca-Cola and Intel.
Share this story
