Elon Musk’s former lieutenant, Esther Crawford, was reportedly instructed to protect and take care of the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, according to a new book titled “Breaking Twitter” author Ben Mezrich. The book delves into the aftermath of Twitter’s acquisition, and details how Crawford was told Jehn Balajadia, operations coordinator at the Boring Company, that part of her job was to “take care” of the billionaire.
Balajadia allegedly emphasized to Crawford that she needed to make sure Musk was looked after and that things went well for him after she met Musk. The book quoted Balajadia as saying, “Elon is a very special guy, and as someone who is going to be close to him, your job is to help take care of him, protect him, to make things go well for him.” He also warned Crawford that the world would likely attempt to influence Musk through her, and she needed to be cautious from that point on.
Representatives for Balajadia at the Boring Company did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment on the matter. Crawford, who gained attention for a viral image of her sleeping on the floor of Twitter headquarters, previously served as the company’s director of product management. She was laid off in February after being identified as one of Musk’s top lieutenants following his takeover of the company. Crawford was in charge of the company’s subscription service, Twitter Blue, prior to her departure.
In a video posted to Twitter in July, Crawford criticized Musk’s tendency to be surrounded “yes men” and to rely on gut instinct for business decisions, stating that it frustrated her. Despite this, she commended Musk’s leadership, describing him as funny and charming, and acknowledging that she had learned a lot from him.