Elon Musk’s huge X taken down from Twitter roof after San Francisco squabble

The flashing X was lighting up people’s high-rise homes nearby

A giant flashing X on top of the Twitter headquarters has been dismantled after attracting the ire of disgruntled neighbours in San Francisco.

The new logo had been lighting up people’s homes in high rises opposite the headquarters of the social media giants formerly known as Twitter attracting 24 official complaints.

Workers have now been seen dismantling the large flashing letter just days after it was erected on Friday.

The Elon Musk-owned company, which has been rebranded as X, had removed the Twitter sign and iconic blue bird logo from the building last week.

That work was temporarily paused because the company did not have the necessary permits. For a time, the “er” at the end of “Twitter” remained up due to the abrupt halt of the sign takedown.

The move followed a post from Musk, the enigmatic billionaire who acquired the company in October for $44 billion, announcing the newly named firm would remain in San Francisco despite what he termed the city’s recent “doom spiral, with one company after another left or leaving.”

“Beautiful San Francisco, though others forsake you, we will always be your friend,” Musk wrote.

But the big X didn’t stay long.

“This morning, building inspectors observed the structure being dismantled,” a spokesperson from the city Department of Building Inspection said by email on Monday. “The property owner will be assessed fees for the unpermitted installation of the illuminated structure.”

Twitter Starts To Rebrand Its San Francisco Headquarters With Giant X Logo
The X being dismantled
Getty Images

X said the removal was voluntary.

Locals over the weekend recorded video of the giant X glowing, pulsing and strobing, with some criticising its “intrusive” lights.

X user @itsmefrenchy123 said they would be “LIVID” over the bright logo, imagining it “right across from your bedroom.”

“I’m just astounded at the flagrant lack of consideration for anyone ever,” wrote X user @DollyMarlowe.

Over the weekend a Department of Building Inspection inspector wrote in a report that company representatives denied roof access, twice, to city officials seeking to inspect the logo.

The inspector noted one representative said the sign was temporary.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in