Store almost didn't sell them a sink out of …: Elon Musk shares ‘rare story’ about his viral ‘Let that sink’ photos

Elon Musk has revealed a rare and kind of funny behind-the-scenes story of his famous 2022 acquisition of Twitter, specifically detailing the unexpected drama involving a bathroom fixture. Speaking on the “All-In” podcast on Friday, Musk explained that his viral video – which showed him carrying a kitchen sink into Twitter’s former headquarters with the caption, “Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in!” – almost didn't happen because a store struggled to sell his security team the actual sink.

Elon Musk shares the ‘Store’s Confusion’

Musk, who purchased Twitter for $44 billion in October 2022, said the difficulty arose from his team's specific, yet unusual, request.“The store was confused because my security team was asking for any kind of sink, and normally, people wouldn't ask for any kind of sink because you need a sink that fits in your bathroom or connects to a certain kind of plumbing,” Musk explained. “So, they're trying to ask, ‘What kind of faucets do you want?’ No, I just wanted a sink,” he said, according to a report by Business Insider.Musk shared that the retailer nearly refused the sale out of genuine concern for the buyers.“The store was confused that we just wanted a sink and didn't care what the sink connected to,” Musk said. “They were, like, almost not letting us buy the sink out of concern... They thought maybe we'd buy the wrong sink,” he added.“It’s just rare that somebody wants a sink for sink’s sake,” he concluded. The video has since become one of the most recognisable memes of the acquisition.

X and xAI integration

The sink incident was succeeded by changes at Twitter, which was later rebranded as X. The changes included widespread layoffs, office closures, and the discontinuation of the original verification system.The most significant recent shift occurred in March when Musk announced that his AI company, xAI, acquired X in an all-stock deal. Musk stated the companies’ futures are “intertwined,” intending to blend xAI’s advanced capability with X’s massive reach across data, models, and distribution.