SAN FRANCISCO - Twitter co-founder and former chief executive officer Jack Dorsey on Saturday apologised to company staff for growing the social media giant “too quickly” a day after roughly half of the company’s 7,500 employees were fired by new owner Elon Musk.

“I realise many are angry with me,” wrote Mr Dorsey, who co-founded Twitter in 2006 and stepped down as CEO last year.

“I own the responsibility for why everyone is in this situation: I grew the company size too quickly. I apologise for that,” he said on Twitter.

Many Twitter employees had been waiting for their former boss, a charismatic and influential figure in Silicon Valley, to react after Mr Musk, the world’s richest man, took control of the platform a week ago in a contentious deal.

Mr Dorsey had endorsed the takeover by Mr Musk, calling it “the right path” in a Twitter post in April.

“Folks at Twitter past and present are strong and resilient,” Mr Dorsey wrote on Saturday.

“They will always find a way no matter how difficult the moment.”

Mr Dorsey left the Twitter board of directors earlier this spring, but remains an indirect shareholder in the company.

Mr Musk completed his mammoth US$44 billion (S$60 billion) acquisition late last week and quickly set about dissolving its board and firing its chief executive and top managers.

“I am grateful for, and love, everyone who has ever worked on Twitter,” Mr Dorsey tweeted.

“I don’t expect that to be mutual in this moment... or ever... and I understand.” AFP