Elon Musk says he is going to launch an updated version of Twitter's payment-based Verification system on Friday.

The billionaire is aiming to secure a new source of revenue at the social-media service without relying on advertising.

Corporate users will get gold check marks, government organizations gray ones. Blue ticks will go to individuals, not just celebrities as was the case before.

Musk bought Twitter for 44 billion dollars about a month ago. US media say some 5,000 employees had been laid off or left the firm as of Monday last week. That's more than 60 percent of its workforce.