Black Friday Sale! 50% Off All Access

Eli Lilly Stock Plummets After Parody Twitter Account Says Insulin is Now Free The pharma company felt the affects of a dangerous imitation account on Thursday.

By Emily Rella

Entrepreneur+ Black Friday Sale

Our biggest sale — Get unlimited access to Entrepreneur.com at an unbeatable price. Use code SAVE50 at checkout.*

Claim Offer

*Offer only available to new subscribers

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Getty Images

Elon Musk's disastrous back-and-forth rollout of Twitter Blue has caused a multitude of communication problems between users and trolls, with fake news and information inadvertently going viral after users quickly see blue checkmarks and assume what they are reading is from a legitimate source.

Though much of the banter has been in good jest, one company is feeling the very real implications of the viral spreading of misinformation.

Eli Lilly and Company's stock plummeted on Thursday after an account posing to be the pharmaceutical company claimed that insulin would now be free in the United States.

Screenshot via Twitter

Eli Lilly was down just over 4% in a 24-hour period by Friday afternoon and 20 points in early trading on Friday morning.

The account, which used the handle @EliLillyandCo, had the same username and profile photo as the official Eli Lilly and Co account which uses the handle @LillyPad.

Both had blue checkmarks, except the fake account had purchased its symbol after subscribing to Twitter Blue, making it seem legitimate to quick viewers on the site.

Eli Lilly responded from its official account late Thursday apologizing for the mixup.

The fake branding of the pharma company was one of many in the past 24 hours, with troll accounts impersonating companies across several industries, wreaking havoc across the site.

The fake account has now been suspended.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

DOGE Leaders Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy Say Mandating In-Person Work Would Make 'a Wave' of Federal Employees Quit

The two published an op-ed outlining their goals for their new department, including workforce reductions.

Real Estate

Why Real Estate Professionals Should Prioritize Social Responsibility

Integrating social responsibility into real estate can foster community change, build trust and drive long-term business success.

Business News

Here's How Much Money You Need to Make in Order to Be 'Successful,' According to Each Generation

A new survey by Empower outlines how Americans of different ages define success.

Starting a Business

Why Are So Many Course Creators Struggling if It's 'Such an Easy Business'? Here's the Truth Behind the $800 Billion Industry

Creating an online course is so easy — at least, that's what many "gurus" would like you to believe. There's a lot of potential in the $800 billion industry, but here's why so many course creators are struggling.

Growing a Business

Customers Want More Than Just a Product — Here's How to Meet Their Expectations

Creating a seamless, personalized experience is just as critical as having a great product or service, if not more so — it's the key to winning customers and keeping them loyal.

Franchise

McDonald's $5 Meal Deal Will Stay — And a New 'McValue Menu' Is on the Way in 2025

The McValue Menu is slated for a January 2025 debut and will feature a selection of budget-friendly items, allowing customers to customize meals at a lower cost.