New York Times technology reporters Kate Conger and Ryan Mac headline the first Books & Ideas event with one of the most shocking and defining stories of our time: the $44 billion dollar deal behind Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter—and the seismic political, social, and financial fallout that is still rapidly unfolding—masterfully told in Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter. Don’t miss them in conversation with Kathryn Gretsinger.
The billionaire entrepreneur and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has become inextricable from the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. In 2022, Musk made an unsolicited offer to purchase the company for the unimaginable sum of $44 billion dollars. This was followed by a showdown unlike anything in business or media that has come before, and ended with Musk being sued to close the deal. The richest man on earth now controls one of the most powerful media platforms in the world—but at what price?
With unparalleled sources from within and around the company—including exclusive interviews, unreported documents, and internal recordings at Twitter following the billionaire’s takeover—Conger and Mac follow the inner workings of the company as Musk lays siege to it, first from the outside as one of its most vocal users, and then from within as a contentious and mercurial leader. With Musk now making headlines for his interference in American politics, this is an essential and timely conversation. “You couldn’t hope for a better ringside seat on the unfolding drama.” —The Guardian
We do our best to make our events low-barrier, accessible experiences for our community. A limited number of accessibly priced tickets are available for purchase. To discuss other ways we can make these events more accessible to you, please reach out to us at info@writersfest.bc.ca or 604-681-6330.
About Books & Ideas
Launching in January 2025, Books & Ideas is a new event series from the Vancouver Writers Fest on Granville Island, home of the Writers Fest’s celebrated annual literary festival. With an intimate theatre venue and a pop-up bar for socializing, attendees will be invited to connect more deeply with other members of the local literary community—and meet the esteemed authors who grace the stage—in a modern space for exchanging ideas.
Participants and Speakers
Kate Conger
KATE CONGER is a technology reporter for The New York Times. She writes about X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, and its owner, Elon Musk. In more than a decade of covering the tech industry, she has written about the underground world of hackers, the use of artificial intelligence in autonomous weapons, and labor uprisings in the gig economy. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Ryan Mac
RYAN MAC is a Los Angeles–based technology reporter for The New York Times. He has spent more than a decade reporting on wealth and power in Silicon Valley, first on staff at Forbes, and then at BuzzFeed News, where he was a senior reporter. He led the outlet’s deep reporting on Facebook, which garnered a 2019 Mirror Award and a 2020 George R. Polk Award.
Kathryn Gretsinger
KATHRYN GRETSINGER is an associate professor of teaching at the School of Journalism, Writing, and Media. She is a long-time public broadcaster at the CBC, and has been named one of North America’s top innovative journalism educators.