Elon Musk said he would step down from the CEO role at Twitter — just as soon as he finds someone else "foolish enough to take the job."

Still, Musk plans to keep control of the software and servers teams at the social media company, key areas that will allow him to control product decisions.

Musk tweeted his decision Tuesday night in response to an unscientific and unrepresentative poll asking users whether he should step down as head of the company. More than 10 million people, or 57.5 percent of respondents, voted that he should leave the position.

He had previously said he would abide by the results of the informal poll, which he launched Sunday after even some of his own allies criticized some of Twitter's recent policies.

Musk's time leading Twitter has been marked by upheaval and occasionally chaos. The billionaire laid off thousands of employees, disbanded an outside group that oversaw online safety and reinstated prominent suspended accounts, including the one belonging to former president Donald Trump.

Musk's moves have been controversial with many Twitter users and advertisers, risking the company's major source of revenue. But others had cheered his free-speech agenda and urged him to stay on as chief executive.