Despite being behind bars, Luigi Mangione has managed to achieve a unique social status

In proof that his internet fame is the real deal, CEO assassin Luigi Mangione has somehow managed to become officially verified on X, probably to the annoyance of notable CEO Elon Musk.

X users discovered that the suspect in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson now has a blue tick next to his username on the platform, where he boasts over 350,000 followers (and counting). Mangione likely automatically acquired the blue tick, as he’s currently detained after being charged in connection to the murder, which occurred last week outside of a Hilton Hotel in New York City. 

According to X’s official guidelines, users can get verified if they purchase a premium subscription for the platform (because Musk doesn’t have enough money already) and meet the eligibility requirements around confirming their authenticity, neither of which Mangione would be able to do himself while behind bars. It could be the case that Mangione’s profile became automatically verified once he amassed a certain number of followers, in line with a change Musk made to the platform back in 2022. 

That change meant that some profiles did not need to go through the verification process if many already verified accounts began following them. A quick social media sleuthing session reveals that Mangione is followed by at least 20 verified accounts, which could explain how he got the blue tick even though he currently has no access to his profile. The conspiracy theorist in me might also suggest that an accomplice is running his social media accounts, but I’m not a detective and the amateur sleuths are already having a field day with Mangione’s eyebrows.  

Naturally, the appearance of the blue checkmark has prompted confusion from X users, many of whom are questioning how he acquired it behind bars. “Isn’t he in… jail??,” one user wrote, with another asking whether “they [are] now allowing publishing from prison.” Others theorized that perhaps “some random person” simply gifted Mangione a premium X subscription resulting in the blue tick, and described that person as “a legend.” Elsewhere, users shared their excitement that Mangione could now “get that ad revenue” or simply predicted that the verification means “he’s gonna be a star” (as if he wasn’t one already).

It marks the latest development in regards to Mangione’s social media presence before his alleged shooting and arrest. Earlier this week, a mysterious video was thought to be published by Mangione’s YouTube account, and promised the release of scheduled videos detailing “the truth” of the case. Google later suspended the account and confirmed that it was an imposter unconnected to Mangione. Elsewhere, Mangione’s LinkedIn account was reported on by The New York Times before it was made private, and his since-emptied LinkTree page was also apparently discovered. 

Some netizens have jokingly released fake versions of what they believe would be Mangione’s Letterboxd and Spotify accounts. On the former platform, a widely circulated post suggests the suspect watched both Wicked and The Lorax prior to his arrest, while another popular post counts Mangione as a listener of Charli XCX, Lana Del Rey, and Taylor Swift. Again, the chance of either of those profiles actually belonging to Mangione is highly unlikely, and it’s more so evidence of his rapid internet fame than it is of his actual digital footprint.