Randall Lin, a former engineer at Twitter (now known as X), has come forward with allegations of wrongful termination following his dismissal from the company. Here is what happened.
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New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 14, 2024 20:27 IST
Randall Lin, a former engineer at Twitter (now known as X), has come forward with allegations of wrongful termination following his dismissal from the company. Lin claims he was falsely accused of leaking information to the press, leading to his abrupt departure from Twitter in February 2023, shortly after Elon Musk assumed control of the platform.
In an interview with Zoe Schiffer for her recently published book, "Extremely Hardcore," Lin detailed his experience, asserting that he was unjustly targeted for leaking confidential information. Schiffer, a managing editor of the tech newsletter Platformer, documented Lin's account of events, shedding light on the challenges faced by employees during Musk's tenure at Twitter.
Lin joined Twitter as a machine-learning engineer in February 2020 and swiftly rose to the position of staff engineer. Dissatisfied with the company's culture under former CEO Jack Dorsey, Lin welcomed Musk's takeover in October 2022, hoping for a more dynamic environment. He welcomed Musk's expectations, demonstrating dedication by arriving early and staying late at Twitter's San Francisco headquarters.
Lin's efforts to impress Musk with innovative ideas, including a proposal to develop Twitter's own GPUs, garnered recognition from the CEO. However, amidst a wave of dismissals targeting dissenting voices, leaks emerged from disgruntled employees at Twitter HQ, Business Insider reported. Lin found himself trapped in the fallout when he was accused of being the source behind two Platformer articles.
Despite denying the allegations and confirming with Schiffer that he had never communicated with her, Lin faced swift repercussions. Following a meeting with corporate security where he was presented with purported evidence linking him to the leaks, Lin was terminated and his laptop confiscated.
In the aftermath, Lin expressed dismay at the lack of support from the company, lamenting the betrayal he felt after dedicating himself to both his work and shielding his colleagues from potential fallout with Musk.
Published By:
Ankita Garg
Published On:
Feb 14, 2024
English (US) ·