Twitter has removed its free blue verification ticks. This is now only available for an additional charge. For some prominent users, however, Twitter boss Elon Musk (51) apparently pays for the blue hook himself. LeBron James (38) and Stephen King (75) are said to benefit from preferential treatment.

In a tweet, Musk explained the new checkmark strategy that he was paying "personally" for a few subscriptions. He was apparently responding to a report by The Verge that said NBA star LeBron James wasn't paying for Twitter Blue and had been offered a free subscription by Musk. A source close to the basketball pro, who has kept the blue verification badge on his Twitter account, told The Hollywood Reporter that the 38-year-old did not respond to the email to complete the new subscription.

Writer Stephen King, who also kept his blue tick, tweeted that he wasn't paying for "Twitter Blue." In response to this message, Elon Musk wrote: "You're welcome namaste".

Other celebs, on the other hand, have lost their verification hook. The accounts of Kim Kardashian, Beyoncé, Tom Cruise, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber, among others, are no longer officially verified. According to "Mashable", only about 600,000 of the alleged 250 million Twitter users have subscribed to the new service. Allegedly less than 5 percent of accounts that were verified prior to the update retained the blue tick, according to the report.

Celebrities who will shell out $8 for a blue tick include Ryan Reynolds, Chris Hemsworth, Hugh Jackman, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus.