Iceland’s President Gives Socks to Twitter Worker Musk Mocks

Haraldur Thorleifsson has had an extended week. On Monday, the Icelander tweeted at Elon Musk asking if he nonetheless had a job at Twitter, since he had been locked out of his work laptop computer and hadn’t been in a position to get in contact with Twitter human sources. On Tuesday, Musk tweeted that no, Thorleifsson didn’t nonetheless have a job, mocked him, and publicly doubted that he actually suffered from muscular dystrophy. Thorleifsson patiently defined that he did. On Wednesday, Musk tweeted along with his tail between his legs, apologizing to Thorleifsson. On Friday, although, in a vibrant spot of fine information, the president of Iceland provided Thorleifsson, who goes by Halli, a present: socks.

“Socks for #most cancers prevention and analysis! Halli has earned his free socks in so some ways, however these of you who’re in a position to please buy a pair right here,” tweeted Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson. He added an image of himself carrying the socks in query.

Lest you suppose this can be a little bit of malicious dogpiling by Iceland’s chief, Thorleifsson was delighted. He retweeted Jóhannesson and tweeted himself, “In different information, @PresidentISL provided to offer me some good socks as we speak. Which is one of the best factor you can provide somebody.”

Thorleifsson is the founding father of Ueno, a digital company acquired by Twitter in 2021, the place he labored as a senior designer till Musk laid him off, regardless of his presence on a “do not hearth” listing of staff with monetary contracts that may be disastrous for Twitter. He’s additionally the recipient of Iceland’s 2022 Particular person of the Yr award. When his firm was acquired, he selected to obtain his compensation in wages in order to pay the next tax fee for the betterment of Iceland’s social security web.

After emailing Twitter HR and Musk himself asking if he had been laid off together with hundreds of others, Thorleifsson took to Twitter Monday evening to catch the CEO’s consideration, writing, “Pricey @elonmusk ? 9 days in the past the entry to my work laptop was reduce, together with about 200 different Twitter staff. Nonetheless, your head of HR isn’t in a position to verify if I’m an worker or not. You’ve not answered my emails. Possibly if sufficient individuals retweet you’ll reply me right here?” The tweet went viral, accruing tens of hundreds of likes and retweets.

Musk did reply, quizzing Thorleifsson on the main points of his work however ultimately dismissing any tried clarification with a easy “? ?”. It was solely after that tweet that human sources responded to Thorleifsson, confirming he had, in reality, misplaced his job.

Not content material to flex on one in all his staff, Musk referred to as Thorleifsson “the worst” and added, “The truth is that this man (who’s independently rich) did no precise work, claimed as his excuse that he had a incapacity that prevented him from typing, but was concurrently tweeting up a storm. Can’t say I’ve plenty of respect for that. However was he fired? No, you’ll be able to’t be fired if you happen to weren’t working within the first place!”

Thorleifsson responded with a heartfelt litany of his sickness: “I’ve muscular dystrophy. It has many results on my physique. Let me inform you what they’re: My legs had been the primary to go. After I was 25 years outdated I began utilizing a wheelchair. It’s been 20 years since that occurred. In that point the remainder of my physique has been failing me too. I need assistance to get out and in of mattress and use the bathroom.”

Musk mentioned he ended up calling Thorleifsson to hash issues out. The following day, the CEO wrote, “I wish to apologize to Halli for my misunderstanding of his scenario. It was primarily based on issues I used to be instructed that had been unfaithful or, in some circumstances, true, however not significant,” Musk tweeted. “He’s contemplating remaining at Twitter.”

And now Thorliefsson is getting some new socks.