Elon Musk Passes 200 Million Followers On X

Billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk has set yet another benchmark by crossing his social media follower count to 200 million on X (Initially known as Twitter) as of October 3, 2024. Musk’s dominance on X maintains its foothold as he continues to lead with 74.5% more followers than the second most-followed person, former U.S. President Barack Obama, who has 131.9 million followers. That gives Musk a solid edge over Obama; he dethroned Obama in March 2023 to claim the title of the most-followed person on the platform.

The current list of highest-ranked accounts on X (by followers) shows some movements within the top 10. Cristiano Ronaldo leaps to the number three spot with 113.2 million followers, pushing Justin Bieber down to fourth place. Meanwhile, Rihanna enters the top 10 at number five, with 108.4 million followers. Ariana Grande drops out of the top 10.

This expansion is a result of Musk’s growing sway over the platform, which he paid $44 billion to acquire in 2022. Not only does Musk regularly use X to provide updates about Tesla and SpaceX, but his occasionally contentious personal reflections also attract a sizable following. By eschewing conventional news releases in favor of direct engagement with his enormous audience, Musk’s social media strategy has proven to be effective.

Musk’s following numbers on other platforms are far lower than his popularity on X. On Instagram, for example, Cristiano Ronaldo leads with 639 million followers, with no hint of Musk in the top 10. Musk has criticized Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites, calling them “thirst traps,” but his dominance on X cannot be denied.

As Musk continues to shape the future of technology, his presence on X has cemented his role as one of the most influential figures in social media.