Elon Musk Funds Twitter Blue Verification for Select Celebrities
My Twitter account says I’ve subscribed to Twitter Blue. I haven’t.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) April 20, 2023
My Twitter account says I’ve given a phone number. I haven’t.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has revealed that he is personally paying for some celebrities to have Twitter Blue subscriptions after the social media platform removed all legacy verified checkmarks on April 20. Anyone who had previously received a blue checkmark for being notable in the public eye would no longer have a special designation on the platform unless they opted to subscribe to Twitter Blue for $8 per month. However, some high-profile celebrities, including NBA star LeBron James, award-winning actor William Shatner, and legendary author Stephen King, managed to retain their prized blue checkmarks without subscribing to Twitter Blue.
Musk confirmed on Twitter that he is “paying for a few personally” and told King “You’re welcome namaste” after the author refuted Twitter’s claim that he had subscribed and verified his phone number. While a few celebrities have been able to keep their blue checkmarks without subscribing to Twitter Blue, the majority of legacy checkmarks have been removed, making it easier for people to impersonate notable public figures. This has led to Twitter suspending all accounts engaging in this behavior and temporarily suspending the Twitter Blue program in the past.
