American writer Stephen King suggested that Twitter owner Elon Musk donate the $8 he pays for his blue check mark on the social network to the Serhiy Prytula Foundation, which is helping the Ukrainian army.
"It's only $8, so perhaps Mr. Musk could add a little more," King wrote.
On April 21, Twitter began removing the blue checkmarks of verified accounts from users. After Musk bought the social network in October, Twitter introduced a payment of $8 per tick. The entrepreneur warned that users who do not subscribe to Twitter Blue will lose their verification badge in early April.
Many celebrities (such as the Pope and Leonardo DiCaprio) did not subscribe, and Twitter removed the blue badge. However, Stephen King and some others remained ticked. Musk said he personally paid for King's subscription.
In November 2022, King criticized Musk for his decision to introduce paid verification and stated that he would delete his account if that happened. “My account says I followed Twitter Blue. I didn't do it. My account says that I provided a phone number. I didn't do it," he wrote. “Please namaste,” Musk told him.