Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet on Tuesday that Twitter may charge commercial and government users a small fee, but it will still be free for ordinary users. Musk said that Twitter will always remain free to “regular users”, but that government and commercial users may have to pay a “minor cost.”
Musk, who wants to buy Twitter Inc for $44 billion and take the company private, pitched bankers ideas for a new business model for the service in a conversation last month to raise money for the deal. Most of the social network’s current revenue comes from advertising.
The company has recently attempted to expand into other areas, including subscriptions, although that line of business is still very small. Twitter executives had discussed various subscription offerings for years before the company released a $2.99-a-month subscription service called Twitter Blue last summer.
Twitter will always be free for casual users, but maybe a slight cost for commercial/government users
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 3, 2022
But Twitter Blue targets the service’s most loyal users, not corporate or government accounts, although some aspects of the Twitter Blue service, such as the ability to post longer videos, may appeal primarily to business accounts. Twitter already sells other products aimed at business users, including Twitter API access for businesses interested in marketing or brand analytics.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter, that Musk had told potential investors that he could bring Twitter back to the public within three years of buying it.
Speaking at the Met Gala on Monday night, Musk said he wants to expand Twitter’s reach beyond its current “niche” until most Americans use the social media platform.