Elon Musk has praised Tencent's WeChat as an exceptional app, noting that there is no comparable service outside of China. He has suggested that acquiring Twitter could help expedite the development of "X, the everything app." This comment may indicate that Musk is drawing inspiration from WeChat's model, according to CNBC's Arjun Kharpal. For exclusive and live video content from CNBC, subscribe to CNBC.

Elon Musk has repeatedly hinted that his vision for Twitter (now X) goes far beyond microblogging — and China's WeChat is likely a major source of inspiration. Here's how Musk might be modeling X after WeChat, and what that could mean for the platform's future:

🧠 Why WeChat? A Glimpse at the Blueprint
WeChat (by Tencent) is China's "everything app" — used for:

Messaging & social media

Payments & banking

Shopping & e-commerce

News & content

Booking rides, doctor appointments, and more

Musk has publicly said:

"You basically live on WeChat in China. If we can recreate that with Twitter, we'll be a great success."

🚀 7 Ways Elon Musk May Be Drawing Inspiration from WeChat
1. Payments & Financial Services
WeChat Pay is used by over 900M people in China.

X's Direction:
X is working on integrating peer-to-peer payments, similar to Venmo or Cash App

Long-term goal: digital wallet + financial services, including investments, tipping, and maybe even crypto

Musk has said he wants X to be a "banking alternative"

🧩 This aligns with Musk's early ventures in PayPal and his desire to overhaul the financial system.

2. In-App Ecosystem
WeChat supports mini-programs — apps within the app — used for games, e-commerce, travel, and more.

X's Possibility:
Musk may introduce third-party apps or tools built inside X

Could host creators, shops, or services directly without leaving the app

Imagine booking flights, paying bills, or buying merch all within X

3. Identity & Verification
WeChat is tied to real-name verification via phone numbers and national ID.

X's Play:
Under Musk, X has pushed identity verification (e.g., X Premium checkmarks)

Emphasis on verified accounts to reduce spam and impersonation

Could evolve into a form of digital ID for transactions or access

4. Media + Content Hub
WeChat includes news feeds, blogs, video, and live streams in one app.

X's Move:
Expanded from short tweets to long-form posts, podcasts, videos, and even TV shows (e.g., Tucker Carlson)

Monetization tools for creators mimic the WeChat ecosystem where creators thrive via tips and subscriptions

5. Messaging at the Core
WeChat started as a chat app. Messaging is central to its user experience.

X's Potential:
Musk has hinted at private messaging improvements

Encrypted DMs and more robust chat could compete with WhatsApp or Signal

In the future, Musk may fuse social feeds and messaging like WeChat Moments + chat

6. Commerce & Shopping
WeChat is a dominant e-commerce player in China.

X's Interest:
X has tested features like Product Drops, shopping links, and creator storefronts

Could evolve into a social commerce hub, merging content with sales

Potential for in-app checkout and affiliate marketing

7. AI and Personalization
WeChat uses AI to recommend content, manage conversations, and power search.

Musk's Edge:
X is investing in Grok, a sarcastic ChatGPT-like AI assistant built by xAI

Plans to embed AI into the user experience

Could help users find news, answer questions, or even manage payments and chats

🔮 The Vision: "X, the Everything App"
Elon Musk wants to transform Twitter/X into:

"A single app that does everything — social, payments, media, commerce, and more."

This mirrors WeChat's all-in-one experience but built for a Western audience.

⚠️ Challenges Musk Faces (vs WeChat's Success)
Challenge   Why It's Hard in the West
Regulation   Privacy, payments, crypto laws vary by country
Fragmented market   Western users are loyal to many apps (Instagram, Venmo, YouTube, etc.)
Trust   WeChat has Tencent + Chinese government backing; X is rebuilding trust under Musk
Monetization   Western users are less used to app-based tipping/payments

🏁 Final Take
Musk is clearly channeling WeChat's success in building X as a multifunctional super-app. If he can:

Solve for trust

Nail monetization

Build seamless integrations

...then X could become the Western WeChat — something no other platform has pulled off yet.