Elon Musk pays to keep a few select celebs verified on Twitter

Los Angeles, California - As Twitter has begun removing blue checkmarks from non-subscribers, CEO Elon Musk has paid for three huge celebrities to remain verified.

Twitter CEO Elon Musk is paying for a handful of celebrities to keep their blue checkmarks as the platform unveils a new subscription service.
Twitter CEO Elon Musk is paying for a handful of celebrities to keep their blue checkmarks as the platform unveils a new subscription service.  © Collage: IMAGO / Sports Press Photo, ZUMA Wire, & YAY Images

On Thursday, Twitter began deleting what they call "legacy verified checkmarks" from accounts as the company rolls out their new Twitter Blue subscription service that grants checkmarks for a whopping $8 per month.

As a handful of celebs have refused to pay up, tons of big names, from Beyoncé to Donald Trump, saw their checkmark disappear.

But a few big names didn't – and they had questions.

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"My Twitter account says I've subscribed to Twitter Blue. I haven't," tweeted iconic horror writer Stephen King.

Musk surprisingly chimed in, stating, "You're welcome namaste."

He later revealed in a retweet to a news story that King was part of a holy trinity of celebs that Musk was paying subscriptions for: King, Star Trek actor William Shatner, and NBA legend LeBron James.

It's unclear why Musk specifically chose them, as they are all far from being the most popular users on the platform, but Musk has become known for doing things sometimes that don't make much sense.

A handful of big names also decided to pay for the service to keep their checkmarks, including Taylor Swift and Rihanna.

Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO / Sports Press Photo, ZUMA Wire, & YAY Images

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