“How Elon Musk Decides Who Gets Verified on Twitter: The Case of Patrick Mahomes and LeBron James”

As a successful businessman, Elon Musk naturally knows how to find new sources of money. Shortly after taking over Twitter, the billionaire decided to charge users if they wanted to keep their blue tick as a verification mark. But he turns a blind eye to some stars. For example, it is known from NBA star LeBron James that he can continue to enjoy the recognition feature of official Twitter accounts without having paid a single cent for it. In the case of Patrick Mahomes, a request via tweet was apparently sufficient. The star quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs wrote to Musk, including three tearful smileys: “Please give me back my blue hook!” And lo and behold: the account is now ticked again. Mahomes thanked Musk for that – of course via Twitter.