Flashing 'X' sign removed from former Twitter HQ after local complaints

The sign was erected on Friday as Twitter owner Elon Musk rebrands the social network as X

A brightly flashing “X” sign has been removed from the San Francisco headquarters of the company formerly known as Twitter just days after it was installed.

The San Francisco Department of Building Inspection said Monday it received 24 complaints about the unpermitted structure over the weekend.

Complaints included concerns about its structural safety and illumination.

Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk bought the site for $44 billion last year before a brief stint as Twitter CEO, despite Musk remarking that “the city is in a doom spiral”.

San Francisco has launched an investigation into the sign / Credit: AP

“San Francisco, beautiful San Francisco, though others forsake you, we will always be your friend,” he posted.

But not everyone is quite so keen to be Musk’s “friend” – including residents who live opposite the headquarters and officials who opened a complaint over a potential permit violation.

The X appeared after San Francisco police stopped workers from removing the brand’s iconic bird and logo from the side of the building last Monday.

Officers said the company had not cordoned off the footpath to keep pedestrians safe if anything fell.

After the sign was erected, an X user remarked how they would be “livid” if the flashing sign was “right across from your bedroom”.

Local resident Christopher J Beale responded by posting a video of the bright display along with the message: “Imagine no more. This is my life now.”

Another neighbour, Patricia Wallinga, also told the broadcaster that she is concerned the light could be a “danger” to the older people living in the building and branded the debacle a “clown show”.

“I thought it was lightning, and I was very confused. I went to my window, I looked around, I didn’t see anything. I thought it was maybe a police siren,” she said.