I don't understand what Elon tried to do with Twitter. Maybe just fuck you money to spite those who tried to silence him.
Charging $1 a year to Tweet and Retweet may not seem like a lot, however optics matter. It sets the stage to charge more in the future, it makes the service no longer free, and most importantly, it makes Twitter no longer the public square where anyone is able to freely talk - a point in which Elon likes to state, but continues to erode.
While on the NOSTR we happily Zap developers more than $1 worth of sats quite often and some could agree that it's a similar task to paying a measily 4000 sats, it's not. It's not a requirement. It's not forced. The NOSTR is completely free and open. The openness is the difference. The NOSTR is the public square.
https://fortune.com/2023/10/17/twitter-x-charging-new-users-1-dollar-year-to-tweet/
Discussion
He wants people to love him. It was fuck you money and ego money all in one. IMO.