Musk Stays Off Twitter for Longest in a Year During China Trip

(Bloomberg) -- Elon Musk, a prolific presence on Twitter and owner of the social media platform, didn’t send any tweets while he was in China for his first visit since the pandemic.

Most Read from Bloomberg

• George Santos Loses Bid to Shield the People Who Guaranteed His $500,000 Bail

• PGA Tour Bows to Saudi Rival in Shock Combination With LIV Golf

• Ukraine Dam Blast Blamed on Russia Tips War Into New Phase

• Russia’s Dam-Busting Is Another War Crime

• Dam Destroyed in the Dead of Night Upstages Ukraine’s Counteroffensive

Up till the early hours of May 30, Musk had tweeted every single day in 2023 — often multiple times. His silence in China marked the billionaire’s longest hiatus from the platform since June 2022, when he was in the midst of buying Twitter and taking it private. Many foreign social media platforms are banned in China, including Twitter and Facebook, although they are widely accessed over virtual private networks, or VPNs.

Musk, who also runs Tesla Inc., met with Chinese government officials and local business leaders during his visit, and said the interests of China and the US were intertwined. He said that Tesla opposed decoupling from China and is willing to keep expanding in the country, according to a government statement.

His private jet departed Shanghai on Thursday morning, local time. He quickly started tweeting about SpaceX, another one of his companies.

Read more: Musk Meets China Government Officials on Second Day of Trip

It’s possible to visit banned social media and news sites over VPNs, which allow users to bypass China’s censorship machinery by creating a secure and encrypted connection. The personal use of VPNs is illegal in the country, but enforcement is uneven and many in China continue to use them.

The uncharacteristic silence has some Twitter users wondering if Musk wasn’t able to set up a VPN or if he didn’t feel it was appropriate. Regardless, the billionaire had a busy itinerary, including meeting the staff at Tesla’s Shanghai plant late Wednesday night.

(Updates with Musk beginning to tweet after lifting off from China)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

• China’s BYD Is Racing Toward the Top of the Global EV Market

• A $1.5 Trillion Backstop for Homebuyers Props Up Banks Instead

• Giorgia Meloni Seeks to Cement Power by Remaking Corporate Italy

• Google’s Top Lawyer Preps for Fights Over AI and Tech ‘Censorship’

• Supreme Court Rulings Make White-Collar Fraud Charges in the US Harder

©2023 Bloomberg L.P.