HIGHLIGHTS
- The heads of technology and product development of Truth Social have resigned.
- The two quit less than a year after the app's launch.
- Truth Social does not have an Android app, which excludes 40% of the US population.
The two Southern tech entrepreneurs possessed two attributes that Donald Trump's Truth Social venture required: computer-sector competence and a politically conservative perspective matched with the former president, an uncommon combination in San Francisco's liberal-leaning industry.
Josh Adams and Billy Boozer, the company's chiefs of technology and product development, joined the venture last year and quickly became central players in its bid to build a social-media empire backed by TrumpAccording to two people familiar with the initiative, both have departed their senior positions less than a year later, at a vital juncture for the company's smartphone-app release plans. The resignation came as a result of the company's iPhone app's rocky launch on February 20. Many users are still on a waiting list, unable to use the portal, weeks later. Former Republican congressman Devin Nunes, CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), stated publicly that the business hoped to have the app fully operating in the United States by the end of March.
The company has an app for iPhones but no app for Android phones, which account for more than 40% of the US market, despite the fact that the firm has advertised for an engineer to design one.'s powerful brand to counter what many conservatives decry as left-wing "cancel culture" censorship.
Boozer did not answer to a request for comment, and Adams did not react to a request for comment. TMTG and Trump representatives did not reply to demands for comment. This narrative is based on conversations with eight persons with knowledge of Truth Social's actions who spoke on the condition of anonymity to Reuters.
Truth Social is part of a rising category of internet companies that pander to conservatives while positioning themselves as free-speech supporters. More than a year after being barred from Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube for allegedly encouraging or praising violence during the January 6, 2021, rioting at the US Capitol, the platform guaranteed Trump unrestricted connection with the American people.
According to two people familiar with the firm, the departure of two executives essential to the app-launch preparations might jeopardise the company's development as it strives to prove it can compete with mainstream platforms such as Twitter. Trump's platform, like Twitter, allows people to communicate and share their ideas. "If Josh has departed... all bets are off," one of those people said of Truth Social's tech leader Adams, referring to him as the "brains" of the company's technology.
According to another person acquainted with the firm, Boozer also served as product chief, overseeing administration of the technical infrastructure, design, and development teams.
Reuters was unable to ascertain the particular reasons surrounding the executives' resignations, as well as if they had been replaced or their jobs changed. It's also unclear whether Adams and Boozer are still involved in the endeavour in some form after leaving their leadership positions. Their resignations happened before their major responsibilities in the highly monitored organisation were ever made public outside of Truth Social's closed-door atmosphere.
According to a person familiar with the initiative, Adams and Boozer worked at a level slightly below Wes Moss and Andy Litinsky, both former castmates on Trump's successful reality TV programme "The Apprentice."
Moss and Litinsky have been the company's "senior, day-to-day leadership" since its inception last summer, according to the source. According to a person familiar with the company's formation, the two individuals pitched Trump on the social-media business in January 2021. Reuters was unable to identify Moss' and Litinsky's particular job titles or duties since neither replied to requests for comment. Outside of CEO Nunes, who arrived in December, TMTG has disclosed little information about its executive leadership team.
Another unanswered topic is how TMTG is supporting its present expansion. The company intends to go public by merging with blank-check maker Digital World Acquisition Corp. (DWAC). The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the transaction and will most likely reject it.
Last December, DWAC reported in a regulatory statement that the SEC was investigating the transaction. The SEC has not addressed the subject of the investigation and has not responded to a request for comment sent on Sunday.
Investors have guaranteed $1 billion (approximately Rs. 7,540 crore) to TMTG, but they will not transfer the funds until the DWAC transaction is completed.
DWAC shares tumbled 13% after the market opened Monday, on a day when Twitter's stock rose 25% following an investment by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Trump's participation with his namesake firm and the Truth Social platform is likewise unknown. So yet, the former president has only posted one post - or "truth" - on the site, on February 14: "Be Prepared! "Your beloved President will be seeing you very soon!"
According to data analytics firm Sensor Tower, downloads of the Truth Social app have dropped significantly, from 8,66,000 the week of its launch to 60,000 the week of March 14. According to the company, the Truth Social app has been downloaded 1.2 million times in total, lagging rival conservative applications Parler and Gettr, which have 11.3 million and 6.8 million downloads, respectively.
Targeting Big Tech
According to one person familiar with the endeavour, when Adams and Boozer joined the firm last year, they accepted the notion for a social-media company with a "anti-cancel culture" objective. The CEOs were adamant about providing a "open platform where you may be entitled to your own perspective as long as you don't say something unlawful," according to the individual.
The precise date the two executives joined the business could not be determined by Reuters, but they were working on the Truth Social app by the autumn, according to two individuals familiar with the endeavour.
Adams and Boozer fit the criteria as the corporation sought engineers with both the necessary talents and compatible politics, according to another individual familiar with the organisation. Hiring managers investigated candidates' political ideologies to determine whether they were a good match, according to one source, in at least one case by reading their social media accounts and listening to their podcast appearances.
Because of the company's political leanings, it had a restricted pool of candidates to choose from. According to a person familiar with the organisation, at least one candidate turned down a job offer because he couldn't handle working for Trump. According to two people with information, those who rejected the business's outreach expressed anxiety about job security and thought the organisation and its employees would be attractive targets for hackers.
Neither Adams nor Boozer declared their employment at Truth Social on their LinkedIn pages, which include a long list of other positions and businesses. The hiring was not made public by the firm.
In a November investor presentation, Adams and Boozer were named as the TMTG technology team's chief technology officer and chief product officer, but without their last names. When Truth Social first started, they posted often on the network, but solely as "Josh A." and "Billy B." to the public.
