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Elon Musk is now the most followed person on Twitter

Elon Musk is now the most followed person on Twitter (Samuel Corum / AFP via Getty Images)
Elon Musk is now the most followed person on Twitter (Samuel Corum / AFP via Getty Images)

Elon Musk, Twitter CEO, is now the most followed person on Twitter, with 133 million followers.

The Tesla founder and billionaire became the social media platform’s most followed person, knocking former US president Barack Obama from the top spot.

Musk became the CEO of Twitter after buying the company in October 2022. Since he took over, the company has faced a string of controversies, including Musk firing thousands of employees.

Now, he’s the most followed user on the app.

Musk’s feat comes after he made changes to the algorithm that promoted his tweets to all Twitter users.

The change was implemented after Musk was reportedly unhappy that his tweet about the Super Bowl received fewer likes than US President Joe Biden’s, as reported by Platformer.

Within a day of the Super Bowl tweet, Musk’s posts flooded users’ For You timelines.

This incident came just days after a report that Musk fired a Twitter engineer after they suggested that he was getting fewer views on his tweets because interest in him was fading.

And last year, Musk reportedly fired Twitter employees for criticising his tweets about Twitter’s performance on Slack.

Despite his rocky leadership, Musk has managed to climb to the top of Twitter’s most-followed list, beating out the likes of Barack Obama and Justin Bieber.

Elon Musk has 133 million followers on Twitter (Evening Standard composite)
Elon Musk has 133 million followers on Twitter (Evening Standard composite)

Top 10 followed accounts on Twitter

1. Elon Musk (133 million)

The Twitter CEO is now the most followed person on Twitter. He’s shared insights into running the social media platform and has even called for users to vote on policy changes.

2. Barack Obama (133 million)

Former US president Barack Obama uses his Twitter to draw attention to major political issues. This week, he called for stricter gun laws in the wake of the Nashville shooting.

3. Justin Bieber (113.3 million)

Justin Bieber has been quiet on Twitter in recent months, but has previously used the platform to announce projects, tours, and collaborations.

4. Katy Perry (108.3 million)

Singer Katy Perry has been sharing pictures and clips from her gig as an American Idol host, as well as promoting her shoe brand.

5. Rihanna (108.2 million)

Rihanna uses her platform to promote her Fenty beauty line, as well as to share her photoshoots, including pictures of her baby son.

6. Cristiano Ronaldo (108.1 million)

Cristiano Ronaldo frequently shares photos from his football games with his 100 million followers, and often promotes his sponsored partnerships.

7. Taylor Swift (92.5 million)

Taylor Swift, who is currently on tour, has been sharing concert pictures and videos with her followers.

8. Narendra Modi (87.4 million)

The Prime Minister of India tweets frequently and shares official political news.

9. Lady Gaga (84.7 million)

Lady Gaga has used her Twitter account to share clips of her performances and to promote her make-up line, Haus Labs.

10. YouTube (78.8 million)

Video-sharing platform YouTube is the 10th-most followed account, and often calls on fans to share their opinions, and favourite videos and creators.