The social network he runs is defined by its constant, frenzied babble, but Twitter's chief executive has embraced the total opposite, going on a 10-day silent retreat at the end of 2017.

Jack Dorsey has revealed that he had carried out a Vipassana meditation - an ancient pre-Buddhist technique that involves 10 days of silence, almost every minute of it spent in quiet reflection, over Christmas and New Year's.

Supporters say it purifies the mind and calms the "endless chatter" of the world around us - chatter that many would argue has been amplified many times over by social media.

During Dorsey's silence - which came shortly after Twitter introduced a new policy that saw several high profile far-right figures banned - he missed the company being threatened with sanctions by a top MP, an outcry over a troll alert tool being banned, and 63 tweets from Donald Trump,.

"Just finished a 10 day silent meditation. Wow, what a reset! Fortunate & grateful I was able to take the time. Happy New Year! #Vipassana," wrote Dorsey, who has two full-time jobs running both Twitter and his payments company, Square. He is known for waking up at 5am and often working an 18-hour day, splitting his time between the two companies' offices.