Twitter CEO Elon Musk is suspected of having a second secret account with the rare and valuable one-letter handle “@e,” which he allegedly took from another user shortly after purchasing the social media platform last year, according to reports.
Gizmodo reports that rumors are circulating that Twitter CEO Elon Musk has a second alt account, the rare one-letter handle “@e.” According to the Platformer newsletter, Musk allegedly took the coveted username from another user not long after purchasing the social media platform last year.
Platformer managing editor Zoe Schiffer tweeted on Tuesday, “NEW: Elon Musk has another alt account, @e, that he had Twitter transfer to him shortly after the takeover.” “I’m told the person who owned the account did not want to hand it over (the account had been hacked and suspended before due to the high value handle, and the previous owner wanted to keep it).”
The @e account has yet to publish any tweets but has amassed 2,495 followers. Interestingly, the account follows only three other accounts: Musk’s primary account (@elonmusk), NASA, and LAist. Given that Musk is a well-known space enthusiast, acting as CEO of SpaceX, and frequently engages with himself on Twitter through fan accounts, these connections imply that he may be the owner.
A one-letter Twitter handle is extremely valuable and uncommon, so when it is acquired, it is noteworthy. Early adopters of social media platforms often claim these handles, which have a lot of influence. Some people sometimes offer thousands of dollars to buy such handles from their current owners. Naoki Hiroshima revealed in a 2014 op-ed for Gizmodo that he had been offered $50,000 for his “@N” handle and was ultimately coerced into giving it up. Since then, Hiroshima has taken back control of the account.
The fact that Musk owns Twitter has sparked discussions about the possibility of selling valuable usernames to make money. Despite the fact that there are currently no plans in place to sell these usernames, the New York Times reported on this possibility in January. Musk stated in December that he wanted to remove inactive accounts to free up an estimated 1.5 billion usernames, which could help the platform grow and become more profitable.
Breitbart News reported this week on Musk’s first secret account, which he uses to tweet as his two-year-old son, X Æ A-12.
Business Insider reports that the billionaire founder of Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink, Elon Musk, appears to have accidentally revealed a separate Twitter account where he tweets under the alias of his son, X Æ A-12. The account was discovered as a result of Musk sharing a screenshot of his Twitter profile, which revealed a second account with a child’s profile picture.
If a user has more than one Twitter account, they can switch between them by tapping the profile icon of the one they want to use and choosing the other profile icons that are located next to it. Minutes after Musk shared the screenshot, the account’s final tweet read, “I will finally turn 3 on May 4!” X Æ A-12 was conceived on May 4, 2020. Users quickly began going through Musk’s tweets on the alternative account, including asking one person if they “like Japanese girls.”
Read more at Gizmodo here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan