Elon Musk told a Twitter lieutenant 'all these damn birds have got to go' as he took on the social media company in October last year it was revealed last night, as his biographer lifted the lid on the reality behind the chaotic takeover.

Writer Walter Isaacson told how the billionaire was initially 'amused' by the chirpy logo, before becoming 'repulsed' by how it was 'placed everywhere' in the company's offices.

Since his takeover, Twitter has come under fire for a host of changes, most notably Musk's decision to start charging for users to be verified and the cold way he fired hundreds of members of staff.