On Thursday, Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, unveiled new benefits for users of his social media platform, X, formerly known as Twitter. Musk, who acquired X for $44 billion in October 2022, has implemented numerous changes to the platform, including introducing subscription fees for blue verification ticks, sparking concerns over misinformation.
In his latest update, Musk announced that certain X accounts would gain access to premium features at no extra cost. Musk, founder of The Boring Company and Neuralink, stated on X, “In the future, all ???? Accounts with over 2500 verified subscriber followers will get Premium features for free, and accounts with over 5000 will get Premium+ for free.”
Subscribers to the premium service can enjoy longer posts, fewer advertisements, and a blue checkmark. Those with Premium+ will have access to the artificial intelligence model Grok, capable of answering nearly any question, for $16 a month.
Despite Musk’s changes, there was speculation that many users might migrate to alternative platforms like Bluesky or Meta-owned Threads. Yet, these platforms have reportedly experienced limited success.
