Twitter sells quirky office supplies for extra money

Twitter has begun auctioning off surplus office supplies after laying off thousands of employees and deducting employee benefits. The list includes all office supplies, including quirky bird memorabilia (the Twitter bird logo), espresso machines, refrigerators, and even Apple Macs. The online auction host, Heritage Global Partners, notes that there are 631 items for participants to purchase. Most of these items are collected at Twitter's San Francisco office. Participants can bid until 11:30 p.m. IST tonight, Jan 18, and as expected, prices will rise as the day progresses.

Some rare items with the highest bid include the Twitter Bird Statue for $20,000 (roughly Rs 16 lakh). Twitter is also selling an "@" sculpture pot, and the current offer is $8,000, which translates to around Rs 6.53 lakh. Some of the higher-quality wooden chairs, previously used by Twitter guests and employees, sell for more than $1,000 (Rs 81,000).

Online auction participants are also bidding on N95 masks. A set of KN95 protective masks (total of 20,800 pieces) sells for $350 (roughly Rs 28,000). Other items include espresso machines for about $3,400 (Rs 2.77 lakhs), electric ovens, refrigerated pizza tables, vegetable dryers, and stainless steel kitchen tables. As mentioned, the sale prices will likely increase until the sale ends tonight.

Twitter is also auctioning a host of excellent office tools and gadgets. Twitter-owned 27-inch Macs are bidding at $1,200 (roughly Rs 98,000), and several Samsung TVs are also up for grabs.

Since Elon Musk's formal acquisition of the company in late October 2022, Twitter has been taking desperate measures to save expenses. First, Twitter laid off more than 3,000 employees, while some decided to voluntarily resign to denounce Musk's "hardcore" work culture. Twitter then cut employee benefits, including free lunches. Twitter is also facing a lawsuit from the owner of its San Francisco office for allegedly failing to pay rent.