X to shut down San Francisco office, shift staff to other locations

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, plans to close its headquarters in San Francisco in the coming weeks, according to an internal email from CEO Linda Yaccarino seen by The New York Times.

The company, which is owned by Elon Musk, will move employees to an existing office in San Jose and a new engineering center in Palo Alto, both in California, which it will share with Musk's AI company, xAI.

The move follows Musk's recent criticism of California's leadership and his stated intention to move X's headquarters to Texas, according to The New York Times report.

Musk cited a new California law on student gender identity disclosure as a key factor in his decision, the report said.

The closure marks a significant shift for the company, which was founded in San Francisco in 2006.

X did not respond to requests for comment on the office closure or potential job impacts as of 0800GMT, according to the report.

The decision is in line with Musk's broader strategy of cutting costs and restructuring operations since acquiring the company in a $44 billion deal in 2022, the report added.