Twitter on 25 April accepted Elon Musk’s bid to take over the company, giving the world’s richest man control over the influential social media network where he is also among its most powerful users.

The $44bn deal marks the close of a dramatic courtship and a sharp change of heart at Twitter, where many executives and board members initially opposed Musk’s takeover approach. The deal has polarized Twitter employees, users and regulators over the power tech giants wield in determining the parameters of acceptable discourse on the internet and how those companies enforce their rules.