Musk, who acquired the social network for $44-billion last week, said these Blue users would also get priority in replies, mentions and Twitter search, and half as many ads. They would also have the ability to bypass paywalls for “publishers willing to work with us”, he said on Twitter.

Musk called Twitter’s current verification system, which applies a check mark to users and brands that may be at risk of getting impersonated, a “lords & peasants” system. “Power to the people!” he tweeted, asking the people for $8 a month.

Musk said Twitter would use the revenue stream to reward content creators.

Currently, verified users don’t pay anything for their badges. Twitter applies them manually to high-profile users and public figures, so that users know the messages are coming from a legitimate source. Prior press reports have indicated that those who don’t pay will lose their check marks, but Musk didn’t say either way.

Twitter Blue existed before Musk took over, separately from the company’s verification system. It currently costs $4.99 per month, and allows people to edit their tweets, organise tweets with bookmark folders, and change Twitter’s display and design, including the app icon.