X, formerly operating under the name Twitter, has made public its decision to permanently close its San Francisco headquarters and announced the closing date to be Friday, September 13. This move comes after Elon Musk, the owner of X, revealed plans earlier in the year to shift operations to Texas, with Twitter being one of the corporate entities affected by this relocation. The news of the office closure was initially reported by Fortune and further confirmed by New York Times reporter Kate Conger, who specializes in covering the company.
Initially launched in San Francisco in 2006, Twitter had its first headquarters located at 164 South Park Ave. The decision to close its San Francisco base indicates a significant transition in the company's operational structure, sparked by Musk's concerns regarding a California law that prohibits school districts from notifying parents if their children request to be identified by a different pronoun. Musk announced the relocation of both X and Space X to Texas, with X moving to Austin and Space X to Starbase, underlining his reasoning that such legislative measures could drive families and businesses away from California.
Additionally, Musk expressed dissatisfaction with the security situation around X's San Francisco headquarters, highlighting concerns about safety in the mid-Market Street area. He referred to encountering "gangs of violent drug addicts" that workers had to navigate through, creating a challenging environment for employees as they accessed the building. This statement further emphasizes Musk's rationale behind the decision to move the company's headquarters and echoes his concerns about the wellbeing of employees in the current setting.