SAN FRANCISCO (California, US), Dec 20: Billionaire owner of social media platform Twitter Elon Musk has been voted out by twitteratis as head of the outfit in an online poll conducted by him. Fifty seven per cent of those who participated in the poll on Sunday voted against Musk as Twitter CEO continuing at the helm of the social networking company.

After taking over the social media he had said his position as CEO would be temporary, especially it became real as he was caught in a web of controversies. He had told a court last month he will "find somebody else to run Twitter over time.” But till Sunday he had found "no successor.”

In fact since January Tesla's value has been falling and Musk tried to wriggle out of his $44 billion deal with Jack Dorsey but couldn't. He has lost more than $500 billion in market value this year and is using Tesla to cushion Twitter debts. Smelling the down slide he could probably have been indulging in publicity stunts, kicking up controversies on the way to keep his stocks high in media headlines, it is suspected. Anxious Tesla investors are protesting.

Calling the polls, the tech tycoon, who lost his position as the world's richest man, asked his millions of followers whether he should stand down, "Should I step down as head of Twitter? I will abide by the results of this poll." And the result of Sunday's polls came as: Yes: 57.5%; No: 42.5% - 17.5 millions voted. He claims to believe in the Latin dictum, "Vox Populi, Vox Dei" (The voice of the people is the voice of God). Midway through the polls, he also tweeted: "As the saying goes, be careful what you wish, as you might get it". On other previous occasions like Tesla share sale or restoring Trump's suspended Twitter account, he had gone by the verdict of the respondents.

Anyway, he will be the Twitter's owner.

After the results came in, Musk said in future only Twitter Blue subscribers will be allowed to vote on policy-related matters.That could probably was aimed at drawing more Blue members. Twitter Blue is a paid subscription that buys a blue tick verified badge.

At the time the world's richest man, Musk acquired Twitter on October 27 last from Jack Dorsey in a $44 billion deal and became its CEO. He had tweeted "the bird is freed" and "let the good times roll".

But soon he landed in controversies vis-a-vis his new policies. Musk declared an open approach to free speech on Twitter and released the locked account of former US President Donald Trump. Almost half the employees have left or been sacked. So also the top executives.

Musk has lost 60% of the value of Tesla, his main business, since last January and lost his position as the world's richest man to Bernard Arnold, CEO of LVMH.

Twitter is an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, operating the social networking service. Musk also runs Tesla and Space X.