The CEO of Twitter Inc. And co-founder Jack Dorsey himself was in the hot seat two weeks ago, when his platform began blocking millions of users from sharing links to a pair of New York Post stories about Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden. Within hours, lawmakers said they would call Dorsey to explain his decision.
But Mr. Dorsey was not involved in the initial discussions about the move, according to people familiar with the matter. After a public outcry, he posted on Twitter that banning link sharing without any context from the company about the reason was “unacceptable”.
Mr. Dorsey’s absence from such an important decision is not unusual. In both Twitter and Square Inc. – The fintech company where he also holds the CEO position – Current and former employees say he does not raise his hand to the extreme, delegating most major decisions to subordinates in part so that he can pursue his personal interests.
This management style is now facing one of its biggest tests ever, amid mounting pressure to address the company’s woes. Starting tomorrow, Mr. Dorsey is scheduled to testify in Washington, along with other chief tech executives, about their handling of Post articles and other issues related to stewardship of content.
The mysterious Mr. Dorsey wore his nose ring, completed a 10-day silent getaway in Myanmar in 2018, and said he takes multiple ice baths daily. He is curious about people and social issues across the political spectrum, which even his critics say are real. Among the many people he has developed relationships with include Scott Adams, creator of the cartoon Dilbert and prominent conservative Twitter voice, and Direy McKesson, a civil rights activist and leader of the Black Lives Matter.
