While Elon Musk is deeply involved in the xAI project and his work at the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), key personnel are leaving the social network X. According to The Verge, Head of Engineering Haofei Wang has unexpectedly left his position.
Wang, who joined X in 2023, acted as a crucial link between the company’s engineers and Musk. In recent months, he had effectively taken on the role of acting head of engineering and product, especially as Musk focused on his other ventures. The reasons for his departure remain unclear, and neither Wang nor the company has commented on the matter.
Shifts in X’s Engineering Team
X has begun to see notable personnel changes. In January, former Robinhood engineers Mike Dalton and Uday Ruddaraju joined the team. According to their social media profiles, they are also involved with xAI, further highlighting the project’s growing influence.
At the same time, Musk’s political weight continues to increase. Since he began actively supporting Donald Trump’s election campaign last summer, his attention to X has gradually declined. Despite this, X’s financial standing has improved, with investors recently valuing the company at $44 billion—the same amount Musk paid for Twitter in 2022.
X Money and Future Plans
When Musk acquired Twitter, he envisioned transforming it into an “everything app” similar to China’s WeChat, reminds NIX Solutions. During an internal meeting, he even stated that he would be “terribly disappointed” if X failed to manage users’ financial transactions by the end of 2024.
So far, these ambitious plans remain unfulfilled. However, work on the X Money payment platform is ongoing, with a launch expected later this year. We’ll keep you updated on any further developments.