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- Elon Musk has said that he will personally pay for the Twitter Blue subscriptions of several celebrities.
- He tweeted Thursday that he had paid for Stephen King, LeBron, and Stephen King subscriptions.
- Twitter has removed the legacy badges of verification and now charges $8 per blue check.
Elon Musk, the billionaire tech entrepreneur, says he will personally pay for several celebrities to remain on Twitter Blue because they refused to pay $8 per month for a subscription.
Musk announced on Thursday that the list included NBA star LeBron James as well as Canadian actor William Shatner and author Stephen King.
King, who had previously been against paying for the blue check to be retained, stated on Thursday that he has never paid a fee for verification.
My Twitter account shows that I have subscribed to Twitter Blue. I haven't. "My Twitter account says that I've provided a number. I haven’t," he replied.
Musk replied to King, "You're welcomed namaste."
Elon Musk April 20, 2023
Twitter has finally rolled out the long-anticipated revocation of legacy badges to anyone not subscribed to their $8 per month service.
The Verge's Alex Heath & Jay Peters reported, however, that celebrities like Los Angeles Lakers James were given free subscriptions to Twitter blue. The outlet reported that James received a free email from Twitter, offering verification on behalf of Elon Musk.
Adam Mendelsohn confirmed to The Verge that James did not pay for the subscription.
The basketball player tweeted this month, "I ain't gonna pay the 5" to verify.
LeBron James, @KingJames March 31, 2023
Platformer's Zoe Shipper reported that Twitter had boosted the visibility of 35 "VIP" users' accounts in March.
Shatner criticized Musk in March directly for removing the blue checks for free users. "Now you tell me I have to pay something that you gave me free?" He tweeted.
Ice T, the rapper, appears to have retained his blue checkmark without paying for it on Twitter. "Hey. He tweeted Thursday that "maybe it will disappear soon." "F it."
King's announcement that he had never paid for Twitter blue prompted him to tweet "Don't be fooled by the hype."
Musk responded on Wednesday to an online discussion about celebrities who receive free verification by saying that he "pays for a few personal" to keep them Twitter Blue subscribers.
Elon Musk April 20, 2023
A number of celebrities in the same industry have also lost their Twitter badges. These include Halle Berry and Shaquille o'Neal. Stephen Colbert has also lost his, as well as J.K. Rowling and 50 Cent. In South Korea, KPop megagroup BTS lost its blue checkmark.
Twitter didn't immediately respond to Insiders' request for comment sent after regular business hours. The company sent an automated response that didn't address Insiders questions.
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By: mloh@insider.com (Matthew Loh)
Title: Elon Musk is paying for a few of his favorite celebrities to stay on Twitter Blue, even after they dissed the new blue checks
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-personally-paying-some-celebs-twitter-blue-subs-2023-4
Published Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2023 05:16:13 +0000
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