As the world’s second richest person, Elon Musk has achieved an incredible amount of success – captivating not only the tech industry, but countless admirers across the globe. But how much of Twitter is Elon Musk buying? It’s a question that has arisen as the entrepreneur’s clout on the social network continues to grow steadily.
In recent years, Musk has become one of the most followed figures on the platform. Since joining in 2009, his following has surged to 53 million and counting, making him the sixth most followed Twitter user. Over the years, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO has leveraged the platform to promote his companies, share space news, reveal future plans and make jokes, with his tweets often becoming watercooler conversations.
And yet, according to a July 2020 story by the Financial Times, Musk has spent just $21 million on buying Twitter followers over the years. His budget is a tiny fraction of the $1.3 billion spent since July 2019 by celebs, businesses and governments. The vast majority of those using such services come from countries such as India, Indonesia, Brazil and the US, where affluent companies and politicians are willing to pay to artificially boost their market appeal.
This comes as no surprise to experts in the industry. “The majority of people who use these kinds of services are celebrity figures or companies that are spending thousands of dollars on it,” says Jaxon Alford, a social media influencer with over a million Instagram followers. “Elon Musk isn’t really one of those types of figures, but he still has a lot of influence.”
Observers have also credited Musk’s Twitter success to his witty, attention-grabbing tweets, as well as his penchant for self-promotion. “His audience continually grows because of the stellar content he publishes,” Alford explains. Withiut having to pay to advertise his companies, Musk has been able to use Twitter as a tool to spread news and keep the world up to speed on his latest projects as they take shape.
However, it’s also important to note the downside of Musk’s own approach: his tweets have caused the Tesla CEO to run afoul of the law in the past. For example, in 2018, Musk agreed to pay a $20 million fine and step down as chairman of Tesla after tweeting that he had secured the funding to take the electric carmaker private – a statement that was later found to be false.
Musk’s Relationship with Journalists
Of course, it’s not only the law Musk has had to contend with. Reports have also swirled about his tenuous relationship with journalists. Earlier this year, the tech mogul called out the press for “close to zero fact checking”, prompting a wave of criticism from media outlets and commentators.
Journalists, however, have pushed back against the tone of his tweets, arguing that Musk isn’t being held to the same standards as other business leaders. “As one of the world’s most powerful and influential CEOs, it’s important that he’s held accountable for his actions,” Sarah Craine, head of public relations at Union Pacific told us. Indeed, some experts – including Craine – have argued that Musk’s tweets are often over-praised, when they should be challenged more heavily.
The bigger question, however, is how much of Musk’s success on Twitter is actually owed to him. Although he definitely contributes to the hilarity of his tweets, it’s not his own jokes driving the majority of his audience engagement. Much of it can be attributed to the 8.3 million followers he generated from his celebrity status, magazine article mentions and media appearances.
Musk’s Following from Other Platforms
Given Musk’s appeal on other platforms such as Instagram, YouTube and Facebook, it’s likely that many of his Twitter followers have come from people learning about him on other sites. According to the Financial Times, it was Tesla’s decision to promote its social media accounts in its press releases and YouTube videos that helped to catapult the billionaire’s popularity.
By making his presence known on different channels, Musk has been able to keep attract audiences and raise awareness of his companies’ products and services. “There’s definitely been a snowball effect,” marketing specialist Adrian Caron says. As more people followed him across multiple sites, it’s possible that the level of interest in his content grew exponentially – generating an even larger following.
It’s also worth noting that a large portion of Elon Musk’s total Twitter followers may come from automated accounts, or bots. According to analysis from Detroit Free Press, of the 33 million followers the billionaire had in 2017, up to 12.7 million may have been bots. Such accounts are used to spam tweets or inflate follower numbers and can be very difficult to detect.
Political Influence
It’s not just businesses and celebrities manipulating the platform for their own gain – politicians have become masters of the dark art. Recent years have seen an unprecedented increase in political leaders working behind the scenes to purchase millions of followers and create sway over opinions.
Nonetheless, whenever a public figure offers an opinion on social media, it brings with it a certain level of political influence – regardless of how much money is being spent to enhance it. Although Musk says he’s not a politician and thus does not wish to influence people, his words have been known to provoke outrage, laughter and other strong emotions from his followers. He is, after all, the bestselling book author of “Elon Musk: Life and Future.”
Indeed, the reach and power of social media is such that a single tweet has the potential to drastically shape public opinion. Thus, it’s no wonder that the world’s powerful, rich and famous have become so enamored with Twitter, with Elon Musk at the forefront of this obsession.
Reputation & Credits
However, with fame and success come the spotlight and controversy. Just recently, an academic working with Oxford University penned an open letter to Musk saying his fans were like ‘cult followers’ and that Twitter had ‘enabled his rise to near self-godly status.’
Clearly, Musk appears to be in control, but many believe his reputation has been bolstered by his success on the platform. It’s impossible to tell how much of Twitter is Elon Musk buying – but one thing’s for sure: the tech mogul’s influence has no doubt been shaped by his celebrity status, wit and presence on other channels.
Role of Women in Tech & AI
While Musk’s Twitter followers has been on a steady rise, the same can’t said for the number of women in tech and artificial intelligence (AI). In recent years, reports have indicated that women’s job diversity in those fields are staggeringly low – lower than they’ve been in the past.
Many attribute the lack of female representation to a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’: the same old people creating products and filling roles tend to use their existing network to fill new positions. Therefore, there’s a tendency among tech companies to overlook female talent in favor of male. This can ultimately result in fewer women applying for positions.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Musk has encouraged these gender disparities on his own platform. In one recent tweet, the Tesla CEO described the gender pay gap as a “stain on the face of society that must be addressed.” The comment was met with immediate backlash from many female followers and subsequently ridiculed as hypocritical, since Musk appears to have done little to join the fight for gender diversity in tech himself.
It’s clear that Musk has a powerful impact on Twitter, but it’s important to remember that the social platform’s demographic isn’t reflective of the wider population in tech. Until tech companies, institutions and governments work together to close the gender gap, that reality won’t change.
Accountability & Long-Term Vision
When it comes to Twitter, Musk’s tweets are often seen as thought-provoking and at times controversial. Though his words act more as entertainment on the platform, it’s also important to remember that he’s a public figure, and ultimately accountable for his actions.
That said, Musk’s long-term vision when it comes to technological advances still inspires many young innovators and entrepreneurs. Many admire the billionaire’s drive, creativity and ambition, which have forced us to reconsider our understanding of the possible. With majors such expansions of the future, who knows how much of Twitter is Elon Musk buying.
Environmental Policies & Promises Would Help
In the same vein, Musk has pursued big ideas but often failed to follow through. For example, when revealing the Tesla Semi-Truck in 2017, Musk promised that the truck would be the “safest and most advanced transportation system ever built” – something that, to date, has yet to be delivered. This begs the question of whether Musk’s grandiose plans are ever brought to fruition or, instead, lost in a sea of tweets and news stories.
The same can be said of his approach to environmental policies. Despite his self-professed affinity for the green energy revolution, questions remain over his commitment to refusing financial donations from the fossil fuel industry. Additionally, experts argue that Tesla’s private factories aren’t eco-friendly and that Musk is using his current projects as a guise for the promotion of carbon-emitting vehicles.
What’s more, there’s a lack of clarity over his long-term plans for the environment. It’s all very well committing to transforming the climate crisis, but, if Musk doesn’t offer detailed plans and strategies, his words will remain just that – empty promises.
Feedback from the Public
Overall, while it’s clear that Musk’s influence on Twitter is significant, his tweets are undeniably polarizing. Some applaud him for his ambition and vision, while others criticize him for being irresponsible and egotistical.
The situation is made more complex by the fact that his Millionaires Club on the platform is constantly diminishing the value of his words – a point that is further reinforced by the idea that, in a business based on tweets, perception often trumps reality.
But such seems to be the relationship between Elon Musk and Twitter: a marriage of convenience, but one that’s sure to produce plenty of debates and arguments in the years to come.
