Having completed his takeover of Twitter last week, Elon Musk hasn’t wasted much time in implementing big changes within the social media company, with one of the first relating to its executive committee. According to the latest SEC filings, Musk has already gotten rid of Twitter’s entire board, making himself “sole director,” a position that would suggest the billionaire is keen on overseeing his new purchase with full authority. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO is also planning to tie user verifications to Twitter Blue, the company’s paid subscription service, meaning that those who want (or wish to keep) their blue checkmarks will need to pay for the apparent privilege every month. Twitter Blue was introduced at $4.99/mo., but Musk is reportedly increasing that figure to $19.99/mo.
The whole verification process is being revamped right now
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 30, 2022
As reported by The Verge:
The directive is to change Twitter Blue, the company’s optional, $4.99 a month subscription that unlocks additional features, into a more expensive subscription that also verifies users, according to people familiar with the matter and internal correspondence seen by The Verge. Twitter is currently planning to charge $19.99 for the new Twitter Blue subscription. Under the current plan, verified users would have 90 days to subscribe or lose their blue checkmark. Employees working on the project were told on Sunday that they need to meet a deadline of November 7th to launch the feature or they will be fired.
As reported by the Sun:
The SpaceX and Tesla CEO has big plans for the app and has been making changes already. All previous members of the Twitter board no longer have authority, according to a SEC filing. This includes former chairman Bret Taylor and the recently fired chief executive Parag Agrawal. It’s unclear why Musk decided to get rid of the Twitter board. Musk is rumored to be planning staff cuts and letting controversial former users back on the platform.