Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk is set to take his social media venture, X (formerly known as Twitter), to new heights by turning it into a full-fledged dating platform. Musk envisions this transformation as a key step in evolving X into an “everything app.”
This intriguing revelation was made during a recent company-wide meeting, commemorating the first anniversary of the Musk-led investor group’s $44 billion acquisition of X. At the meeting, Musk, known for his innovative ideas, announced X’s ambitious transition into a comprehensive dating site by the year 2024, according to a report by Business Insider, citing attendees of the event.
While this may sound like a radical shift, it’s not the first time Musk has entertained the notion of integrating dating app features into the X platform. In a May interaction, he responded positively to a user’s proposal for a “Twinder” dating functionality, deeming it an “interesting idea, maybe jobs too.”
The prospect of an opt-in dating app on X has sparked both curiosity and enthusiasm in various quarters. Content creator Steven Mark Ryan, known for tech and finance news on YouTube, went as far as to suggest that such an addition could potentially address declining fertility rates in developing countries, dubbing it a potential savior of humanity. He made this proposition in response to Musk expressing concerns about “population collapse” due to declining fertility rates in Nordic countries.
While Musk has hinted at the idea of a dating app within X, details about the features and the specific timeline remain uncertain, aside from the 2024 target he announced.
The report by Business Insider also mentioned that Musk did not delve into specific details about the dating app concept during the company meeting. In addition to the dating app initiative, Musk indicated that X is exploring the possibility of incorporating banking and money transfer services, with plans to navigate state-level regulatory approval processes.
It’s worth noting that X’s value has experienced a decline since the Musk-led investor group took it private following a $44 billion acquisition. Despite the decrease in value, X employees were offered new stock options, reflecting a company valuation of $19 billion, a slight dip from its reported worth of around $20 billion in March, as per The Wall Street Journal.
Musk’s aspirations to transform X into an “everything app” indicate a continued push for innovation and expansion within social media and technology.