Twitter has recently restored verification badges on several high-profile celebrity accounts after removing the blue checkmarks from non-paying users.

Elon Musk Admits Paying for LeBron James' Twitter Blue

This move comes just days after the microblogging platform culled the legacy blue checkmarks for non-paying users, leaving dead celebrities' accounts without verification badges. However, as of Sunday evening, Twitter had added posthumous blue checks to the accounts of several deceased celebrities, including Kobe Bryant, Paul Walker, and Michael Jackson.

It remains unclear whether Twitter intends to restore the blue ticks for some or all celebrities, dead or alive, or if this is merely another trolling stunt by Elon Musk.

Last week, Musk admitted to paying for Twitter Blue subscriptions for a few celebrities, including LeBron James, William Shatner, and Stephen King, who declined to subscribe themselves.

In response to a claim that "Some celebrities have been offered a complimentary Twitter Blue subscription 'on behalf of Elon Musk,'" the Twitter CEO tweeted, "I'm paying for a few personally." He later tweeted, "A troll, me??" along with a laughing emoji.

The removal of verification status follows a leaked memo of Musk stating that Twitter's value has dropped and is now worth less than half of the $44bn he paid for it in October 2022. Moreover, Musk has reduced the company's workforce by laying off most of its employees, indicating that the number of people employed by Twitter has dropped to 2,000 from 7,500 as of December.