On Monday, The Verge reported that new Twitter owner Elon Musk wants to start charging people who have verified accounts — popularly referred to as “blue checks” — $20 dollars a month to keep their verified status.
The idea was widely mocked, and many of the site’s most prominent verified users said they would leave if Twitter tried to implement the plan. Among those verified users was literary legend Stephen King, who tweeted, “$20 a month to keep my blue check? F– that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron.”
Hours later, Musk confirmed the accuracy of the reports when he signed on to basically beg King not to leave by haggling with him over the price.