• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure

2

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

3

The pig in the python: Baby boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire

1

The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure

2

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

3

The pig in the python: Baby boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire
Tech

No, insulin is not free: Eli Lilly is the latest high-profile casualty of Elon Musk’s Twitter verification mess

Steve Mollman
By
Steve Mollman
Steve Mollman
Contributors Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
Steve Mollman
By
Steve Mollman
Steve Mollman
Contributors Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 11, 2022, 5:18 PM ET
David Ricks, CEO of Eli Lilly & Co., at the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco on Jan. 14, 2020.
David Ricks, CEO of Eli Lilly & Co.David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Eli Lilly posted an unusual message on Twitter yesterday. The pharmaceutical giant apologized for a misleading tweet in which someone pretending to be the company wrote, “We are excited to announce insulin is free now.”  

The company sells insulin, and it is not free. 

Eli Lilly (real handle @LillyPad) can thank changes at Twitter introduced since Elon Musk’s $44 billion takeover for the confusion. The pranksters were able to easily make an official-looking Twitter account—with a blue checkmark for the fake user name “EliLillyandCo”—by paying $8 monthly for Twitter Blue. The new subscription service, introduced under Musk, comes with a blue check that previously signified that accounts were legitimate.

After the fake post, Eli Lilly’s stock fell sharply. How much the drop was related to the post isn’t entirely clear. But similarly, Lockheed Martin shares fell after a fake account—again using Twitter Blue—said the company was stopping weapons sales in some countries.

Did Twitter Blue tweet just cost Eli Lilly $LLY billions?

Yes. pic.twitter.com/w4RtJwgCVK

— Rafael Shimunov (@rafaelshimunov) November 11, 2022

Lockheed Martin stock is down more than 5% a day after a Twitter Blue-verified account impersonated the defense company and said it was halting sales to certain countries, including the U.S.

Similar declines at Eli Lilly after an impersonator Twitter account. $LMT $LLY pic.twitter.com/TTQrmGUyCV

— David Slotnick (@David_Slotnick) November 11, 2022

Gaming companies Nintendo and Valve were also targeted by pranksters using Twitter Blue, as were prominent athletes, including NBA star LeBron James (pretending to request a trade) and Major League Baseball pitcher Aroldis Chapman (claiming he signed a deal he didn’t).

Twitter Blue was unavailable Friday after the wave of impostor accounts.

Twitter blue checks under Musk

Before Musk took control of the platform, blue checks served to mark legitimate accounts and were given out freely to sources Twitter deemed notable and trustworthy. 

On Nov. 5, Twitter announced the Twitter Blue service, saying in an update to its app on Apple iOS devices that users could receive the blue checkmark next to their names “just like the celebrities, companies, and politicians you already follow.”

That opened the door for pranksters, who in the case of the Eli Lilly trickery trolled both drug companies and Twitter. 

Pharma companies have faced pressure over the high cost of insulin and other drugs. That helped lead to the Inflation Reduction Act—President Joe Biden’s sweeping health care, climate, and tax legislation—including a provision capping the out-of-pocket cost for insulin at $35 dollars a month (for Medicare beneficiaries at least).

Eli Lilly didn’t mention insulin or prices in its clarification note from its real Twitter account, writing simply, “We apologize to those who have been served a misleading message from a fake Lilly account. Our official Twitter account is @LillyPad.”

elon basically forcing brands to tweet things like "we're sorry you ever thought insulin could be free," incredible scenes https://t.co/D2X6ciJQZa

— Brandon Hardin (@hardin) November 10, 2022

Eli Lilly faced yet more trickery from a second fake Twitter account, this one using “LillyPadCo,” Insider reported. Also pretending to be the company’s real account, it apologized for the first fake message, writing that Humalog, a diabetes drug sold by Eli Lilly, “is now $400. We can do this whenever we want and there’s nothing you can do about it. Suck it.”

The spokesperson for the pharmaceutical company told Fortune, “We are deeply committed to ensuring patients and customers receive accurate information about our medicines. In recent days, fake/parody Twitter accounts for Lilly have communicated false information and we’re working to correct this situation.”

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

About the Author
Steve Mollman
By Steve MollmanContributors Editor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Steve Mollman is a contributors editor at Fortune.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Sam Altman, wearing a suit, speaks in front of a dark red background.
AIOpenAI
Sam Altman and Dario Amodei are both walking back their AI jobs apocalypse prophecies as they eye blockbuster IPOs
By Sasha RogelbergMay 26, 2026
3 hours ago
Mark Cuban speaks onstage during a conference in Austin
CryptoBitcoin
Billionaire Mark Cuban says bye-bye Bitcoin: Why he is ‘disappointed’ by crypto
By Jack KubinecMay 26, 2026
3 hours ago
tt
InnovationRare Earth Metal
America’s manufacturing Achilles’ heel: McKinsey’s warning on rare earths grows louder
By Nick LichtenbergMay 26, 2026
4 hours ago
As China bets its future on AI by cutting arts degrees, Jensen Huang says parents shouldn’t worry about what their kids study
AIJensen Huang
As China bets its future on AI by cutting arts degrees, Jensen Huang says parents shouldn’t worry about what their kids study
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 26, 2026
5 hours ago
Largest study of AI hiring algorithms to date finds ‘clear racial disparities’ — over 25% of Black applicants tainted by bias
AIHiring
Largest study of AI hiring algorithms to date finds ‘clear racial disparities’ — over 25% of Black applicants tainted by bias
By Nick LichtenbergMay 26, 2026
5 hours ago
andrew macdonald
AITech
Uber burned through its entire 2026 AI budget in four months. Now its COO is questioning whether it’s worth it
By Jake AngeloMay 26, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure
Travel & Leisure
The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure
By Catherina GioinoMay 25, 2026
2 days ago
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
5 days ago
The pig in the python: Baby boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire
Economy
The pig in the python: Baby boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire
By Nick LichtenbergMay 25, 2026
2 days ago
The Supreme Court handed Trump a Golden Chariot on tariffs — now he just has to take it
Commentary
The Supreme Court handed Trump a Golden Chariot on tariffs — now he just has to take it
By Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven TianMay 26, 2026
13 hours ago
Elon Musk's best friend could make more than $100 billion from SpaceX's IPO. His firm is also owed billions by SpaceX
Investing
Elon Musk's best friend could make more than $100 billion from SpaceX's IPO. His firm is also owed billions by SpaceX
By Eva RoytburgMay 25, 2026
1 day ago
A billionaire and an A-list actor found refuge in a 37-home Florida neighborhood with armed guards—proof that privacy is now the ultimate luxury
Real Estate
A billionaire and an A-list actor found refuge in a 37-home Florida neighborhood with armed guards—proof that privacy is now the ultimate luxury
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 25, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.