Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, cancels the trip to Africa

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 03:00 pm

Twitter’s chief executive Jack Dorsey on Friday said he is rethinking plans to spend as long as six months in Africa, partly due to concerns over the new-coronavirus epidemic.

The news came with Dorsey facing a challenge from an activist investor seeking to oust the social media executive, who is also CEO of the digital payments firm Square.

Dorsey revealed his plan in November, saying in a tweet concluding a visit to several countries: “Africa will define the future… Not sure where yet, but I’ll be living here for 3-6 months mid 2020.”

On Thursday, a Dorsey statement tweeted from the Twitter Investor Relations account said the plans are in flux.

“I had been planning for where I’d work decentralized, as my team and I do when we travel, but in light of COVID-19 and everything else going on I need to reevaluate,” he said. “Either way we’ll continue to pursue opportunities in Africa.”

Dorsey, speaking at a conference sponsored by Morgan Stanley, said his announcement about his Africa plans last year was “a mistake” because he failed to explain his reasons for the move.

He maintained that it was not a plan to “just hang out or take a sabbatical” but to help demonstrate the value of working remotely and to “figure out how to not be burdened by time zones.”

(AFP)