Chief of the Year
The tech arena has kept Elon Musk in the spotlight, with the focus intensifying during the latest cycle. In April 2022, the entrepreneur signaled an intent to acquire Twitter. The board initially accepted the proposal, then paused negotiations in July due to concerns over terms. By October, the deal resurfaced and closed for forty-four billion dollars, drawing global attention.
After the takeover, Musk spoke about reopening a transparent dialogue on the platform. He pledged to welcome previously blocked users back and to expand what he described as freedom of expression. In the ensuing weeks, high-profile accounts, including those of Donald Trump and Kanye West, were reinstated under his leadership.
Shortly after assuming control, the new management undertook a substantial workforce adjustment, reducing roughly half of the around 7,500 employees. The cuts affected many teams, including those focused on misinformation. The company faced scrutiny and threatened app store removals due to the staffing changes. Musk attributed the reductions to aligning costs with the evolving strategy and to a revenue model under stress.
In mid-November, a new directive required staff to adapt to a more demanding work rhythm, described by some as a shift to a higher-intensity operating mode. Those who did not align with the new expectations or failed to respond promptly were let go with severance. Conversely, facilities were redesigned to support the new approach, with some offices outfitted to resemble extended-work environments to sustain round-the-clock activity.
Early December brought further shifts as the company renegotiated contractor relationships. Local law typically protects employees during contractor transitions. The changes reportedly sparked friction and concerns about worker treatment, with some employees departing as part of the transition and others awaiting severance payments as the process continued. Public statements indicated that automation would play a larger role in maintenance and operations on the platform over time.
App of the Year
At the start of 2022, Telegram experienced a notable rise in user engagement, driven by broader media dynamics and policy shifts affecting other networks. The service benefited from constraints on competitors and from strategic updates introduced by its founder, broadening user options and improving performance. Telegram’s daily reach in several markets expanded meaningfully, reinforcing its position as a key channel for information and official communications in many regions.
Alongside growth, Telegram established itself as a primary space for official outreach in some areas, with a growing roster of official channels. The introduction of paid features, including a Premium tier, expanded the toolset for power users. Paid options enabled enhanced customization, faster performance, and additional content experiences. The platform also experimented with monetization strategies for usernames and anonymous contact options, widening ways for users to participate and even monetize pre-registered identifiers on partner platforms.
Deal of the Year
Early in 2022, the tech and gaming worlds watched with interest as Microsoft announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for a record-setting amount. The portfolio would bring franchises such as Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, Overwatch, and Candy Crush under one umbrella. Regulators launched a rigorous review to assess competitive and consumer impact before any close.
Industry opponents voiced concerns about consolidation, while regulatory bodies in the United States and elsewhere evaluated potential antitrust implications. The outcome depended on whether authorities would approve the transaction and under what conditions. If the acquisition proceeds, Microsoft would gain control of a major slate of popular titles and related IP, reshaping the competitive landscape for the gaming sector in the years ahead.
Russia Deal of the Year
Late summer 2022 saw VK Group and Yandex announcing a strategic agreement wherein VK would retain Zen and News, while Yandex acquired Delivery Club. The closing occurred on September 12, marking a major realignment of digital services in the region. By November, plans emerged to reorganize assets within the Yandex group, with discussions about creating a more streamlined corporate structure while keeping the core Yandex brand for primary operations in the market.
In December, a leadership shift occurred as a senior executive departed to join Yandex in a development role, signaling potential changes in governance. Analysts speculated about future directions and the possibility that the combined assets could evolve under a reorganized holding company to navigate sanctions and market pressures more effectively.
Failure of the Year
In early 2022, chatter about domestic alternatives to major social platforms picked up in several markets. A new project claimed strong traffic and aimed to offer a privacy-conscious, user-owned social experience. Initial demonstrations highlighted plans for rapid web and mobile rollout, but progress lagged behind expectations. Early promotional materials showcased design concepts, yet subsequent updates offered limited public visibility into actual user adoption.
Promotional efforts included announcing premium offerings, with premium usernames and business-focused naming auctions. Despite early excitement, the project struggled to gain traction, and by year-end little public progress was evident beyond scattered demonstrations and endorsements from a few tech figures.
As the year closed, observers noted the project had not delivered a functioning product at scale, and discussions about its future shifted toward pivots or strategic partnerships rather than a standalone launch.
Scandal of the Year
From mid-year onward, attention turned to manufacturing and labor conditions at major electronics facilities in China. A COVID-19 outbreak and related restrictions disrupted production at several sites, prompting temporary shutdowns and containment measures. A prominent plant faced a quarantine period that affected operations, while another factory reported intense working conditions and supply chain pressure. Workers at one site faced severe conditions, triggering protests and public scrutiny. Companies involved issued apologies and outlined compensation measures to restore stability and reassure stakeholders.
These events led to shifts in production levels and raised questions about labor practices, workforce security, and the resilience of the global supply chain as firms navigated ongoing health-related challenges and regulatory scrutiny.
Record of the Year
In November, a prominent American creator surpassed a long-time YouTube leader in subscriber counts, becoming the platform’s most-subscribed individual channel. The creator, known for large-scale challenges and philanthropy, has published content since 2012 and amassed a vast audience and viewership by year-end. The channel is celebrated for high-stakes challenges that often involve substantial prize money, marking its distinct identity within the platform’s ecosystem.
The creator’s reputation blends entertaining stunts with generous giveaways, a formula that has attracted millions of followers and billions of views. Past projects, including large-scale recreation initiatives, helped solidify the channel’s status in online culture as a benchmark for audience engagement and viral content.