The world’s richest person and tech billionaire, Elon Musk seals Twitter deal for $44 billion on Friday. After seven months of dithering and keeping everyone on edge, especially Twitter employees and shareholders, with a “will-he-won’t-he” approach. The Twitter-Musk saga came to a close hours before the court-mandated October 28 deadline.
Twitter’s new owner has announced an $8 monthly fee for verified Twitter accounts. Musk stated on Tuesday night in a series of tweets that verified accounts will also receive “priority in replies, mentions, and searches the ability to post long video and audio; and half as many ads.” Users would also be able to bypass paywalls for “publishers willing to collaborate with us,” he said. Currently, verified Twitter users do not pay anything for their badges.
Musk had previously responded to reports that a $20 fee for the Twitter blue verification badge was under consideration. In response to author Stephen King’s tweet expressing displeasure with internet rumors. According to Musk, the “company has bills to pay.”
Twitter already has a subscription service called “Twitter Blue,” which launched last June. The service is currently $4.99 per month and includes features such as tweet editing. Change the look and feel of Twitter, as well as the app icon. To calm their nerves, Musk told Twitter employees that he would not fire 75% of them. However, his decision to fire such high-profile employees is expected to raise tensions on the office floors.
Twitter’s new chief, Elon Musk, has made several changes since taking over the social media platform on Friday after a protracted legal battle. He fired Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal, and Vijaya Gadde, the company’s legal affairs, and policy chief, immediately after taking over.
He has expressed a desire to ease restrictions on harmful content such as misinformation and hate speech. He has also chastised social media platforms for alleged censorship. Right-wing influencers who celebrated Musk’s ownership announcement on Thursday night have seen their follower counts skyrocket since his announcement.
Meanwhile, according to Reuters, Musk revealed in a filing on Monday that he became the sole director of Twitter as a result of the takeover. Twitter’s directors are no longer Bret Taylor, Parag Agrawal, Omid Kordestani, David Rosenblatt, Martha Lane Fox, Patrick Pichette, Egon Durban, Fei-Fei Li, and Mimi Alemayehou, according to the filing.
