Elon Musk’s big bright “X” sign has been removed from the top of X Corp’s headquarters in downtown San Francisco.
The installation, which formed part of efforts by Musk to rebrand Twitter as X, appeared on top of the building on Friday, just a few days after the company officially unveiled the new X logo to replace Twitter’s iconic blue bird.
But it soon became apparent that X Corp had failed to get permission from the city to place the large sign on top of its building.
Residents from across the street also complained that the light emitted by the sign was far too bright. Reports suggested that at least 24 complaints were sent to the city about the installation.
Workers moved in on Monday lunchtime to remove the sign from X Corp’s roof. It’s not clear if X Corp is seeking a permit for the sign so that it can reinstall it at a later date.
“This morning, building inspectors observed the structure being dismantled,” Patrick Hannan, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection, said in a widely reported statement.
Hannan added: “The property owner will be assessed fees for the unpermitted installation of the illuminated structure. The fees will be for building permits for the installation and removal of the structure, and to cover the cost of the Department of Building Inspection and the Planning Department’s investigation.”
X Corp owner Musk tweeted a drone video showing the X sign on Friday, just after it went up. Shot at night, the sign can be seen flashing brightly on the roof of the company’s headquarters.
Our HQ in San Francisco tonight pic.twitter.com/VQO2NoX9Tz
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2023
This isn’t the first run-in that the company formerly known as Twitter has had with the San Francisco authorities. As CNBC noted, when Musk acquired Twitter in October last year, local officials investigated the business over suspected building code violations, including that some rooms there had been turned into “hotel rooms” so employees could rest as they worked longer shifts.
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