X is closing its longtime San Francisco office soon, CEO Linda Yaccarino told staff in an email, per The New York Times. Staff will relocate to other Bay Area offices.
Elon Musk previously threatened to move X to Austin, Texas. The note by Yaccarino did not mention Texas. The closure will come in the next few weeks. The staff shall continue to work out of Palo Alto and San Jose locations.
X has had something of a bumpy relationship with San Francisco. Musk banned remote work after acquiring the business in 2022. He mandated staff return to its San Francisco office, a decision that many inside the company little appreciated.
Moreover, Musk had issues with the city’s building regulations. He put up a giant flashing X on the building. There were also reports of over-office space being converted into sleeping quarters. X’s landlord sued the company for unpaid rent earlier this year. The lawsuit was later dismissed.
Despite this, Musk said earlier that he would not leave San Francisco. He said so in a tweet. Musk made a post about how companies have been leaving San Francisco. He said X wasn’t going anywhere.
But signals were sent out. The landlord tried to sublease the 800,000-square-foot headquarters of X. The San Francisco Chronicle reported this in July. The news about the relocation comes amid those earlier signals.
X did not immediately return requests seeking comments. The company is rolling up its sleeves in anticipation of major changes. Workers will have to adjust to a different work environment—the move ushers in a new era for X in the Bay Area.
