Elon Musk passes Barack Obama to turn into most {followed} account on Twitter
Elon Musk is now essentially the most {followed} individual on Twitter.
Musk, who can be the platform’s proprietor and chief govt, turned the most followed account on Thursday night when he reached roughly 133.05 million followers, passing former President Barack Obama, who has about 133.04 million followers.
Justin Bieber is the third most-followed account with 113.31 million followers.
The platform’s hottest accounts embrace Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Cristiano Ronaldo, Donald J. Trump, and Woman Gaga.
Musk’s ascension to the most-followed account might be attributed to how usually he tweets — often a number of occasions every day — in comparison with Obama who tweets a number of occasions throughout a given week and Bieber whose final tweet was in December.
It additionally comes months after he bought Twitter for $44 billion in October 2022.
Musk, additionally the founding father of Tesla and SpaceX, has been beneath near-constant criticism since taking up the corporate because of his choice to put off most of its workers and his choice to crack down on distant work.
He has additionally made quite a few modifications to the platform, typically even reverting these modifications inside minutes, inflicting some confusion amongst customers.
Musk has additionally been making an attempt to spice up the struggling platform’s income by pushing Twitter Blue — a month-to-month subscription service that enables accounts to maintain their verification standing.
The blue verify mark that accompanies many accounts began about 14 years in the past as a free service supplied to confirm politicians, journalists, companies, activists and individuals who swiftly rose in reputation.
As Musk has married the service to the month-to-month fee, many people who find themselves verified have expressed frustration they now have to pay.
“I’ve been right here for 15 years giving my (clock emoji) & witty ideas all for bupkis,” William Shatner tweeted. “Now you’re telling me that I’ve to pay for one thing you gave me free of charge?”
Monica Lewinsky tweeted a photograph of accounts that impersonate her and speculated dropping her verification standing might lead to individuals believing different accounts — ought to they pay the charge.
“What universe is that this honest to individuals who can undergo penalties for being impersonated? [A] lie travels midway world wide earlier than fact even will get out the door,” she tweeted.
Musk has repeatedly defended his choice, saying celebrities and members of the media shouldn’t be given particular favors. “It’s extra about treating everybody equally,” Musk tweeted Sunday.
The free verification is ready to run out on Saturday, which additionally coincides with April Idiot’s Day.
After a person identified the date, Musk tweeted Monday: “It is going to be superb.”
Musk revealed earlier this week customers put up about 500 million tweets every day.