"Freedom of speech costs $8 per month," would say someone who does not agree with Twitter's latest policies and does not own an iPhone. That's because Apple customers who want the benefits of a blue check pay $11 per month. The social network that's now also known as X intends to be, as Elon Musk said, a replica of China's Weibo but adapted to fit the Western culture. Tesla is supporting that mission.
The entrepreneur made a "bear hug" offer of around $44 billion in April last year. He said an overhaul was needed. Musk underlined that he would improve the social media platform by applying "free speech principles." After taking it private, he also promised to unlock the company's extraordinary potential.
Much to Musk's surprise, Twitter accepted the bear hug. Then, the well-known businessman had a change of heart. After a six-month back-and-forth and a legal fight, Elon Musk became the rightful owner of Twitter in October 2022.
In a BBC interview, he would say that the Twitter acquisition was ultimately forced upon him "for legal reasons."
But things are looking pretty good for Twitter. Musk fired almost 80% of the people working there, cut all the office perks, found a solution not to pay severance (now a matter for the courts), and appointed a CEO. It even rebranded the social network into X, an old dream of Elon Musk. He wanted to make the "everything app" when he led PayPal, but it didn't pan out.
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube video by Tesla
However, the entrepreneur must be a fan of the saying "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again," because he's giving it another shot. This time, with renewed confidence! He saw what Weibo did in China. That app combines Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter into a single entity while also integrating online shopping and gaming. The sky's the limit when there's no Trade Commission to worry about.
One of Elon Musk's most prolific supporters seems to be Tesla, the world's most valuable automaker led by none other than… Elon Musk!
The company has 16 Twitter (X) accounts verified with a gold checkmark. That's the sign of a for-profit entity that takes its presence on the social network very seriously. Having that tick right next to the brand's name costs $1,000 monthly.
Fortunately, the team that implemented the decision realized that some companies have an international presence and may require more than one account. So, for affiliates, the charge is just $50 per month.
Photo: Screenshot
Tesla has its main Twitter (X) account with nearly 21 million followers and listed as affiliates the following:
Tesla North America;
Tesla Europe;
Tesla Asia;
Tesla Japan;
Tesla Korea;
Tesla Malaysia;
Tesla Singapore;
Tesla Hong Kong;
Tesla Macau;
Tesla Charging;
Tesla Energy;
Tesla Megapack;
Tesla AI;
Tesla Optimus;
Tesla Recruiting.
There are 15 affiliates, which means Tesla pays $1,750 monthly to be a Verified Organization on Elon Musk's Twitter. That amounts to $21,000 per year.
The sum does not include the sales tax. Twitter is still headquartered in San Francisco, but Tesla moved to Austin, Texas. The Lone Star State charges 6.25%, Travis County adds 1%, and Austin puts another 1% on top of everything. So, the final tax is 8.25%. That means Tesla pays $22,732.5 per year.
All of Tesla's Twitter (X) accounts benefit from doubled organic reach, access to the new hiring platform, custom affiliate badges that appear next to the gold checkmark, premium support with lower waiting times to talk to a human, impersonation defense, elevated media upload limits, and the possibility to set up custom direct messaging options. They also have a square profile photo.
Finally, Elon Musk also leads SpaceX and the Boring Company. They are present on the social media platform as verified organizations, too. The former pays $1,100 per month (before tax) because it has Swarm and Starlink as affiliates, while the latter spends just $1,000 (before tax) every month. Neuralink, another Elon Musk startup, also pays $12,000 per year for the same perks. It adds up!
Important for companies to sign up to fight impersonation and false organizational affiliation https://t.co/lFuThssQLX
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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