Elon Musk admits paying Twitter blue-tick fees for celebrities who boycotted the controversial levy

Elon Musk has stated that he “personally” pays for the Twitter Blue subscriptions of some celebrities who do not have a subscription themselves.

The Twitter boss confirmed that he pays for the accounts of William Shatner, Stephen King and LeBron James so that they have the blue check marks for verification.

“Some I personally pay for,” the Twitter CEO tweeted in response to a claim by T(w)itter Daily News that “some celebrities were offered a free Twitter Blue subscription 'in the name of Elon Musk.'”

“Just Shatner, LeBron and King,” the multi-billionaire tweeted on Friday.

The three well-known personalities are also prominent critics of the blue tick fees and have previously complained about this measure in tweets.

“I guess my blue checkmark is going to be gone soon because if you know me, I know I don't pay the 5,” the basketball legend said last month.

Twitter on Thursday removed the blue verification checkmarks it gives to accounts of well-known people and organizations in an effort to encourage more people to sign up for its new subscription service, Twitter Blue. The service costs $8 a month and a number of celebrities have publicly stated that they are unwilling to pay that amount.

But despite non-payment, the blue ticks did not disappear for some people on Thursday.

“My Twitter account says I have subscribed to Twitter Blue,” wrote author Stephen King, a well-known critic of Twitter's owner. “I don't. My Twitter account says I have a phone number. I don't.”

“You’re welcome, Namaste,” replied Mr. Musk.

The removal of the verified status came just weeks after Musk wrote in a leaked memo that the social media platform's value had plummeted and was now worth less than half of the $44 billion he paid for it. Musk has also laid off the majority of the company's employees. In December, he said 2,000 people currently work for Twitter – previously, the number was 7,500.

The Twitter woes aren't the only negative coverage Musk is facing. Early Thursday morning, Musk's SpaceX plane launched a rocket from a South Texas beach that exploded after just a few minutes of flight. The botched launch covered the Texas town of Port Isabel with fine dust and could also have serious impacts on the region's wildlife and environmental health in general.