Elon Musk is vocal about 'treating everyone equal' on Twitter, but a new report reveals the CEO has a list of 'around 35 VIP users' who get a boost on the platform.
Documents obtained by Platformer claim people in politics, sport, Hollywood and also several journalists are receiving increased visibility.
The report states that when tweets from VIP users drop, engineers for the social networking platform tweak the code so they 'are always visible.'
Musk is set to only give Twitter Blue subscribers access to the verification checkmark, which he likened to a 'lords and peasants system' in November 2022.
However, news of an alleged list suggests Musk may be playing favorites.
Platform reports that YouTuber Mr Beast, Twitter user @dril and Menswear writer Derek Guy are also on the list.
Considering the names of the so-called VIPs, it appears they were given the status due to how much users engage with them - whether they love them or hate them.
Some speculate the list is Musk's plan to boost revenue, as many - including himself - said the CEO overpaid for the platform that has been struggling to generate revenue.
And Musk has not been shy about monetizing tweets.
He is set to pull the plug on unpaid verification checkmarks on April 1.
While it is unclear if this is an April Fools' Day prank staged by Musk, who does not shy away from a joke, the announcement was made Thursday evening on Twitter.
Musk also revealed this week that, from April 15, users who do not pay for Twitter Blue - which costs $8 a month – will no longer be able to vote in polls.
He said the changes will stop 'AI bot swarms taking over' the site, although he stopped short of explaining exactly how.
The CEO – who purchased the social media network in October – said that paid social media will be 'the only social media that matters'.
It was also revealed that Twitter is now worth just $20 billion - $24 billion less than it was when Musk paid for it six months ago, the world's richest man told his employees.
The news was shared in an internal email by Musk, but this is not the first time the CEO, 51, has complained about the platform's value.
He famously tried to stop his own $44billion takeover of the company, claiming in court that internal documents proved the social media network was not worth that much.–Daily Mail