The San Francisco location of Elon Musk’s startup, the messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, is denoted by a large, glowing X logo.
The display has angered some city leaders and residents.
To the dismay of the neighborhood which complained about the obtrusive lights and the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection, which said that it is looking into the building, the company built an “X” logo on the roof of its Market Street offices on Friday.
The decision was made in response to Musk’s article in which he said the newly renamed company would stay in San Francisco despite what he called the city’s recent “doom spiral, with one company after another leaving or leaving.”
The Tesla TSLA.O headquarters were transferred from California to Texas in 2021 by Musk, who also serves as the company’s CEO. For a city that has battled to recover from tourism and financial losses brought on by the pandemic, keeping the X logo in San Francisco may be encouraging.
Due to the loss of big businesses, employment layoffs in the computer industry, and less tourism, the downtown area is economically ailing. As more people work from home, traffic has decreased, but the city’s reputation has been damaged by high-profile crime and homelessness.
The photo above is from a YouTube screen grab
In a tweet, Musk said, “Beautiful San Francisco, we will always remain your buddy even if others abandon you.”
But not everyone in San Francisco likes Musk’s friendship. Over the weekend, residents captured video of the big X blazing, pulsing, and strobing; several criticized the structure for its obtrusive lights.
Comments from two X users
X user @itsmefrenchy123 said they would be “LIVID” over the bright logo, imagining it “right across from your bedroom.”
“I’m just astounded at the flagrant lack of consideration for anyone ever,” wrote X user @DollyMarlowe.
X logo: Possible violation
The structure is currently the subject of an investigation by the San Francisco’s Department of Building Inspection because it may violate some building codes.
A BID inspector said in a written report that corporate representatives twice refused to let BID officials view the emblem on the roof..
The photo above is from a YouTube screen grab