In a recent development, tech billionaire Elon Musk has announced plans to move the headquarters of social media platform X out of San Francisco and relocate it to Texas. This decision has sparked a range of reactions from city officials and residents alike.

City attorney David Chiu expressed his agreement with the sentiment shared by many San Franciscans, stating, "I share the perspective that most San Franciscans have, which is good riddance." Chiu's comments were reported by The New York Times, which also highlighted San Francisco Mayor London Breed's response to Musk's plans. Mayor Breed revealed that although she had met with Musk several months ago, she did not extend any offers to retain X in the city, asserting, "I'm not going to beg anybody."

Musk's relocation announcement follows the implementation of a controversial California state law that prohibits schools from notifying parents if their children express a desire to change their gender identity. Citing this law as the "final straw," Musk explained that X's headquarters would now be based in Austin, Texas, while also disclosing that SpaceX, another company he heads, would move its headquarters to Starbase, Texas.

The outspoken billionaire has been critical of policies that facilitate gender transitions for children. In a recent interview with Dr. Jordan Peterson, Musk revealed feeling deceived into signing documents allowing his child Xavier, now known as Vivian Jenna Wilson, to undergo hormone-blocking treatment. Musk emotionally expressed, "I lost my son, essentially... My son Xavier is dead, killed by the woke mind virus. I vowed to destroy the woke mind virus after that."

Coinciding with Musk's decision to move X out of San Francisco, X CEO Linda Yaccarino revealed that Bay Area employees would be relocated to an existing office in San Jose, with a new engineering-focused office being established in Palo Alto. Musk had previously cited issues with the "crazy gross receipts city tax," which he claimed made it impossible for financial companies to operate in San Francisco, leading to the departure of several prominent companies.

This relocation of X comes exactly a year after Musk had expressed commitment to keeping the social media platform in San Francisco despite receiving incentivizing offers to relocate. At that time, Musk had acknowledged the city's decline due to companies leaving, causing a decrease in the tax base. However, he stated, "You only know who your real friends are when the chips are down. San Francisco, beautiful San Francisco, though others forsake you, we will always be your friend" on X.

The decision to move X's headquarters out of San Francisco has left city officials and residents divided. While some express relief, echoing Chiu's sentiment of "good riddance," others mourn the loss of a prominent tech company and question the city's ability to retain businesses amid ongoing challenges.

As X gears up for its relocation to Texas, only time will tell how this move will impact the social media landscape and the San Francisco tech scene as a whole.

Sources:
- The New York Times