[dont__panic]

A good question to ask.

I think you're spot on about most tech companies. But I don't believe this kind of behavior will incentivize high performers to stick around. In fact, I would guess that the best employees have already left. With this kind of uncertainty and the threat of working long hours and then being fired on a whim if you disagree with Musk... ask yourself, who would stick around?

The only people I can imagine are the Musk cult worshippers and those with no other speedy alternative -- H1B holders and other similarly "stuck" people.

So basically Musk is trying to kick everyone out of the company except for his cultists (who will worship him no matter what) and the people who can't leave otherwise.

Open to alternative explanations... but even if I truly believed in a leader, I don't think I would stick around for this kind of abuse. Perhaps I'm just not "hardcore" enough to work at a social network, though.