The Twitter account @ElonJet does exactly what the name implies: tracks Elon Musk’s private jet using public data. The account has 240,000 followers and is dedicated to updating those followers as to the whereabouts of Musk’s plane.
The account is run by Jack Sweeney, 19, from Florida, and all the data posted to the account is from a bot he created for this specific purpose, CNN reported. Sweeney has a number of other bots that track the planes belonging to other high-profile people, including Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, CNN reported.
Landed near Harlingen, Texas, US. Apx. flt. time 2 Hours : 16 Mins. pic.twitter.com/VKmkxfWyh7
— Elon Musk's Jet (@ElonJet) January 31, 2022
Musk allegedly reached out to Sweeney, asking him to remove the account. USA Today reported seeing screenshots from Sweeney showing Musk asking, “Can you take this down? It is a security risk.” Through a series of messages, Musk eventually offered $5,000 and Sweeney countered with asking for $50,000 to help pay for school and a car, USA Today reported.
The last message in the exchange was Wednesday, Jan. 19, when Musk reportedly said it didn’t feel right “to pay to shut this down,” CNN reported after seeing the messages.
“$5,000 is not enough for how much I get out of it. It doesn’t replace anything, like the enjoyment factor,” Sweeney told CNN.
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