According to the legal agency representing them, x, previously known as Twitter, has settled outstanding payments with its former employees at the African headquarters over a year after their termination. These employees, primarily new hires at the Accra, Ghana office, were abruptly let go in November 2022, shortly after Elon Musk’s acquisition of the company led to a widespread reduction of over 6,000 staff globally, citing significant daily financial losses.
Despite earlier claims from X that all former staff had been compensated, the Accra-based team had considered legal action over unmet redundancy payment promises. The legal firm Agency Seven Seven has secured redundancy settlement and repatriation costs for the affected staff. However, the exact financial details remain undisclosed.
The affected employees, numbering less than 20, had transitioned to the Accra office after months of remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their abrupt dismissal and the company’s initial silence on their compensation had caused significant distress, impacting their mental health and financial stability. Having relocated from countries like Nigeria for the role, some found themselves and their families stranded without support in Ghana.
In a rare interview, Elon Musk mentioned reducing the company’s workforce to 1,500 from nearly 8,000 pre-acquisition employees. Despite Musk’s public statement about providing three months’ severance, the African team reported not receiving this compensation.
This saga culminates as X faces a lawsuit in California from former employees demanding over $500 million in alleged unpaid severance packages, reflecting the broader turbulence and transition within the company post-Musk’s takeover.
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