Elon Musk’s ambitious plan to turn X, formerly Twitter, into an “everything app” has long sparked speculations about what would encompass the “everything.” In a recent internal meeting, the billionaire hinted at an unlikely new feature for the micro-blogging site — dating.
During a company-wide video meeting on the first anniversary of his $44 billion takeover of Twitter, Musk reportedly conveyed his plans to make X a full-fledged dating and digital bank. The website Business Insider cited two sources who were present for the call hosted by CEO Linda Yaccarino.
In the past, Musk has said he wants to transform X into an “everything app” that can compete with sites like YouTube, LinkedIn, and FaceTime, as well as banking apps, to become a one-stop solution for a user’s every need. He also wants to incorporate options for entertainment, education, and payments into the platform.
As part of that vision, he recently rolled out an ad-free subscription tier called X Premium, available for $16 per month, that allows users to access their tweets, photos, videos, and replies, as well as a new search engine. In addition, he announced that X will now offer a live-streaming service for sports and politics in collaboration with ESPN and HBO.
The new X features aren’t expected to turn the app into a household name, but they will help the company generate more revenue. As of April, X has generated less than $3 billion in advertising revenue and is on pace to miss its target of $24 billion by 2024. The company has since diversified into space travel and autonomous vehicles, but the new ad-free services should boost its bottom line.
Aside from the potential for more revenue, adding a dating function to the app could be an effective way of attracting young consumers. The tech industry is seeing a boom in the number of younger people entering the workforce, which means many may be looking for love on social media. Adding the dating feature to X would allow them to do so in a familiar and trusted environment.
However, it needs to be clarified whether the new feature will be included in X Premium or will require a separate subscription. It also needs to be clarified when the dating service will launch. Until then, Twitter users can find romance through their current options, including dating app Tinder and the micro-blogging site Threads.
