Elon Musk controls SpaceX and is the CEO of Twitter.Britta Pedersen/Getty Images Elon Musk said he's personally paying for several top celebrities' Twitter Blue subscriptions. He tweeted on Thursday that he's paid subscriptions for Stephen King, LeBron James, and Stephen King. Twitter removed legacy verification badges this week, and charges $8 for a blue check. Billionaire Elon Musk says he's personally paying for several well-known figures to stay on Twitter Blue after they refused to fork up $8 for a monthly subscription.NBA star LeBron James, Canadian actor William Shatner, and author Stephen King are among the chosen few, Musk tweeted on Thursday evening.King, who previously railed against the idea of paying to retain his blue check, said on Thursday that he never paid for verification."My Twitter account says I've subscribed to Twitter Blue.