Massive Twitter Hack Hits Buffett, Bezos, Musk and More
A number of verified Twitter accounts, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Warren Buffett, appear to have been hacked in a widespread Bitcoin scam.


A number of high-profile Twitter (TWTR) accounts were the subject of a massive hack Wednesday afternoon in what appears to be a Bitcoin scam targeting verified users.
At 4:17 p.m., the account of Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk tweeted out a message asking people to send him a payment in Bitcoin, and in return, he would return double that amount: “I‘m feeling generous because of Covid-19. I’ll double any BTC payment sent to my BTC address for the next hour. Good luck, and stay safe out there!”
The tweet was deleted minutes later, but it was replaced by another similar one:
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Over the next hour, a number of other major accounts were targeted, including Microsoft (MSFT) founder Bill Gates, who tweeted out a message with the same Bitcoin wallet address as the second Musk tweet.
Among the other accounts that appear to have been hacked:
- Former President Barack Obama
- Presidential candidate Joe Biden
- Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) CEO Warren Buffett
- Amazon.com (AMZN) CEO Jeff Bezos
- Rapper Kanye West
- Boxer Floyd Mayweather
- The official Apple (AAPL) Twitter handle
- Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg
- Digital currency exchange Coinbase
Twitter has written on its support account that "We are aware of a security incident impacting accounts on Twitter. We are investigating and taking steps to fix it. We will update everyone shortly."
The company reportedly stopped verified accounts from being able to tweet as it investigated the situation.
Later Thursday, Motherboard reported that, according to leaked screenshots and a pair of anonymous sources, a Twitter insider gave the hackers access.
"We used a rep that literally done all the work for us," one source told Motherboard.
Twitter later confirmed that they thought insiders facilitated the attack.
"We detected what we believe to be a coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools," the company tweeted. "We know they used this access to take control of many highly-visible (including verified) accounts and Tweet on their behalf. We’re looking into what other malicious activity they may have conducted or information they may have accessed."
Users of the social media platform are strongly advised not to send payments to any wallet addresses seemingly associated with the Twitter hack.
TWTR shares were down 3% in after-hours trading in response to the developing event.
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
Kyle Woodley is the Editor-in-Chief of WealthUp, a site dedicated to improving the personal finances and financial literacy of people of all ages. He also writes the weekly The Weekend Tea newsletter, which covers both news and analysis about spending, saving, investing, the economy and more.
Kyle was previously the Senior Investing Editor for Kiplinger.com, and the Managing Editor for InvestorPlace.com before that. His work has appeared in several outlets, including Yahoo! Finance, MSN Money, Barchart, The Globe & Mail and the Nasdaq. He also has appeared as a guest on Fox Business Network and Money Radio, among other shows and podcasts, and he has been quoted in several outlets, including MarketWatch, Vice and Univision. He is a proud graduate of The Ohio State University, where he earned a BA in journalism.
You can check out his thoughts on the markets (and more) at @KyleWoodley.
-
The 'Vinyl Rule' of Retirement: Plan for Two Sides in Your Next Act
Because “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”
-
Five Destinations for Active and Chill Travelers Alike
Whether you reach for a paddleboard or a lounge chair, find your groove in a location that offers something for both kinds of travelers.
-
Stocks Slip as Job Growth Stalls: Stock Market Today
The August jobs report came in much weaker than expected, while the unemployment rate ticked higher.
-
Big Tech Names Rise Above Broad Weakness: Stock Market Today
Some familiar names enjoyed solid rallies on the resolution of outstanding questions, but macro uncertainty hangs over the broader market.
-
Stocks Slide to Start September: Stock Market Today
Seasonal trends suggest tough times for the stock market as we round into the end of the third quarter.
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into Sherwin-Williams Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have Today
Sherwin-Williams stock has clobbered the broader market by a wide margin for a long time.
-
9 Warren Buffett Quotes for Investors to Live By
Warren Buffett transformed Berkshire Hathaway from a struggling textile firm to a sprawling conglomerate and investment vehicle. Here's how he did it.
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into UnitedHealth Group Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have Today
UNH stock was a massive market beater for ages — until it wasn't.
-
Stocks Struggle to Start Nvidia Week: Stock Market Today
Another important week for the stock market starts on a risk-off note.
-
Dow Rips 846 Points to New All-Time High: Stock Market Today
Fed Chair Jerome Powell seems ready to cut interest rates in the fall but will still rely on incoming economic data about inflation and employment.