Musk denies reports he is firing Twitter employees in attempt to avoid payouts

FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: Elon Musk's account and the Twitter logo are seen in this illustration taken October 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

(Reuters) - Twitter's new owner Elon Musk has denied a New York Times report about laying off Twitter employees at a date earlier than Nov. 1 to avoid stock grants due on the day.

In a response to a Twitter user asking about the layoffs, Musk tweeted: "This is false."