Twitter's bird statue sells for $100,000 at auction, says report

Microblogging platform prices Blue for Android at $11 per month, launches annual web plan

Twitter concluded an auction to eliminate some of the surplus office items at its San Francisco office. From memorabilia, electronics, and furniture to kitchen supplies, more than 600 items were put on the auction block. The most expensive item that was sold during the tech giant’s fire sale was a statue of the platform’s famous bird logo. The statue sold at a whopping sum of $100,000 (Rs 81,25,000) late Tuesday morning, the BBC reported. The identity of the buyer is unknown. 

Bidding for the nearly four-foot-tall statue closed at $100,000, according to Heritage Global Partners, the corporate asset disposal firm overseeing the auction. However, the company declined to comment or share information about the buyers or bidding prices.  

The second most expensive item was a 10-foot neon Twitter bird display that went for $40,000 (Rs 3,21,8240).

Other notable items include three kegerators to store beer, a food dehydrator and a pizza oven that each sold for over $10,000 (Rs 815,233), as per Forbes. A 190cm planter in the shape of an @ symbol finished near $15,000 (Rs 12,21,990), while a custom reclaimed wood conference room table closed near $10,500 (Rs 8,55,393).  Nick Dove, a representative at HGP told Fortune, “They’ve sold for 44 billion, and we’re selling a couple of chairs and desks and computers. So if anyone genuinely thinks that the revenue from selling a couple of computers and chairs will pay for the mountain there, then they’re a moron.” 

Pay for Blue

Twitter said on Wednesday it would price Twitter Blue subscription for Android at $11 per month— the same as for iOS subscribers — while offering a cheaper annual plan for web users when compared to monthly charges.

The blue check mark - previously free for verified accounts of politicians, famous personalities, journalists and other public figures - will now be open to anyone prepared to pay.

It was rolled out last year to help Twitter grow revenue as owner Elon Musk fights to retain advertisers. The annual plan for subscription to Blue, only available on the web, was priced at $84, a discount to the monthly web subscription price of $8.

Twitter did not respond to a request for comment on its Android pricing strategy.

The discount for web users would be available in countries including United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand and Australia, Twitter said.

Earlier in December, Musk added that Twitter's basic blue tick will have half the number of advertisements and the social media platform will offer a higher tier with no advertisements by next year.