Twitter under Elon Musk has been going through major changes, most of them bordering on drastic and dramatic. After firing nearly half of the company’s workforce, Musk introduced Twitter Blue. Under this policy, users will have to pay a monthly fee to obtain and retain their verification check mark.
The social media giant rolled out this feature in April this year after it was halted for a few months. Now the South African billionaire has revealed that he has been personally paying for some user’s verification fees. So let’s find out who they are and why Musk is paying for them.
Related: Lawsuit Time: Elon Musk Is Planning To Take Microsoft To Court Over Illegal Use Of Twitter API
Elon Musk’s Twitter Blue Isn’t Going Well
Elon Musk-owned Twitter kept its word by removing the legacy verification badges from the platform. This means the blue check marks that were given to users before Musk took over have been revoked.
However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the social media giant is desperate to keep the blue check mark of some of its high-profile users. On Thursday, Musk tweeted that he was “paying for a few [subscriptions] personally”.
His tweet was in response to a news piece that LeBron James and Stephen King were given complimentary subscriptions. King had recently tweeted: “My Twitter account says I’ve subscribed to Twitter Blue. I haven’t. My Twitter account says I’ve given a phone number. I haven’t.”
Last year, King (along with several other celebrities) was critical of the Twitter Blue policy. Apart from these two, the accounts of William Shatner and Ice-T also continue to maintain their verification badges.
In case you missed: What Is Elon Musks Starship Space Vehicle?
Twitter Has Been Merged Into X
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Musk’s Twitter is no longer a legal company. A lawyer filed a lawsuit in a California court to sue the company and its co-founder Jack Dorsey.
The documents mention that Twitter “no longer exists” and is called X Corp. Musk bought the domain X.com last year as a symbolic move since his first business venture was under the same name.
He plans to create an “everything app” like China’s WeChat. X Corp is based out of Nevada, “with its principal place of business in San Francisco, California“. The billionaire plans to provide services like payment, social media, and messaging in one app.
You might also like to read: What Is X, The Revamped Super App Version Of Elon Musk-Led Twitter?
