Elon Musk was once the CEO of Twitter, a position he held before it was renamed X. According to author Ben Mezrich, who wrote the book “Breaking Twitter,” Musk’s time as CEO was marked by increasing paranoia. Mezrich told Business Insider that Musk believed employees were plotting against him or trying to sabotage the site, which led to him banning meetings of more than two employees.

Mezrich’s portrayal of Musk’s behavior during his time at X sheds light on the challenges the billionaire faced and the toll it took on his mental state. The book chronicles Musk’s takeover of Twitter and how it impacted his mental health. Mezrich suggested that the acquisition, coupled with the scrutiny and unpopularity that followed, had a significant effect on Musk’s well-being. He described Musk as “spiraling out of control” and striking back when he felt cornered.

Representatives for Musk did not immediately respond to BI’s request for comment. The Verge reported in January that large meetings had been banned at Musk’s “hardcore” Twitter, with Amir Shevat, who managed Twitter’s developer platform, stating that anyone who did so risked getting fired.