Musk told William Shatner that Twitter doesn't give VIPs special treatment. That was before Twitter's secret VIP list was released

When William Shatner expressed frustration over having to pay $8 to maintain his verified checkmark, Elon Musk responded, "There shouldn't be a different standard for celebrities imo."

As you might suspect, that means Twitter indeed has a different standard for celebrities, in the form of a special VIP list that sends their tweets to the top of people's feeds.

From Platformer:

But Twitter does have a different standard for celebrities – including Musk himself. For months, the platform has maintained a list of around 35 VIP users whose accounts it monitors and offers increased visibility alongside Elon Musk, according to documents obtained by Platformer. The list, which spans the political gamut and also includes several journalists and celebrities, includes:

  • NBA All-Star LeBron James
  • Daily Wire founder and conservative commentator Ben Shapiro
  • Pseudonymous conservative commentator @catturd2
  • Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY
  • President Joe Biden