Elon Musk's plans for Twitter seem to carry links back to the entrepreneur's very first corporate success.
In 1999, he co-founded X.com, a financial services provider.
The company later changed its name to Paypal and was sold to Ebay for a multi-billion dollar sum.
In 2017, Musk bought back the domain name "x.com" from Paypal for an undisclosed sum.
Shortly afterwards, he himself wrote on Twitter that at the time he had no plans for the domain, but that it had great sentimental value.
Anyone who visits the domain name today is greeted by just one letter - an "x" against a white background.
"One everything app"
There are many indications, however, that the domain name may get a new area of use in the future.
"The acquisition of Twitter is an accelerator for the creation of X, the everything app," Musk wrote on Twitter as recently as early October, adding that it was about the "original vision for X.com."
Exactly what Musk means by an "everything app" is not clear from his often rather cryptic Twitter posts, but when the new owner took part in a question and answer session in front of the company's employees this summer, he developed his reasoning.
- Why don't more people use Twitter?
And why are people clicking away from Twitter?
If we can address those issues, they will use Twitter more and get more out of the service, Musk said, according to a transcript obtained by Vox.
Gets inspiration from China
The role model seems to be the Chinese app Wechat, which like "X" can also be described as "an app for everything".
In addition to communication, the app also offers its users everything from booking doctor's appointments to ordering food.
- In China, you basically live on Wechat because it is such a help in everyday life.
If we can achieve that or at least come close to it with Twitter, it would be a huge success, Musk elaborated.
As an example, Musk suggests that he wants to take up the fight against the video platform Youtube.
- I think it's crazy that creators use Twitter to drive traffic to their Youtube videos so they can make a living there.
They should do that on Twitter.
Internet expert Måns Jonasson sees great risks with Musk's plans - and believes they are doomed to fail. Hear him explain in the clip above.