Charlie Sheen’s insanely fast rise to a million followers on Twitter earned him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records — and could soon earn him cash, if he decides to start shilling like Lindsay Lohan and Kim Kardashian.
That’s because Sheen’s “people” contacted Ad.ly, a Beverly Hills-based company that matches celebrities on Twitter like Sheen, Paris Hilton, 50 Cent and Snoop Dog with advertisers looking for tweet endorsements, to set up his Twitter account and have it verified — something that usually takes Twitter days or weeks to do.
Also read: Who's Really 'Winning'? Charlie Sheen's Media Blitz: By the Numbers
Sheen has yet to issue a tweet that’s been sponsored, according to Ad.ly, but it could happen. Or, it may never.
Ad.ly chief Arnie Gullov-Singh told CNBC that the company “hasn't been compensated” for assisting Sheen’s social media campaign, but did so “with the understanding that if he wants to monetize his presence on Twitter or Facebook down the line, he'll work with the company.”
Also read: Battle Over? Sheen Tweets He's Reached a Deal With Mueller
“We want to be top of mind if they think about monetizing it,” Gullov-Singh said on Wednesday. "He may never think of monetizing it.”
The company matches "packages" of celebrity tweeters — anywhere from 10 to 50 — with its network of 150 advertising partners, including the likes of Toyota and Best Buy.
According to Ad.ly, celebrities like Sheen can earn as much as "five figures" for each tweet or status update that's sponsored.
In December, Lohan returned from a Twitterless stint in rehab by tweeting last-minute Christmas shopping tips. It was estimated that Lohan earns between $2,985 and $10,000 to promote products to her more than 1.4 million Twitter followers.
Early last year, Kardashian put out a statement denying that she had been paid to tweet about Carl’s Jr. salads — which she had endorsed in a steamy commercial.
In 2010, Advertising Age estimated that Kardashian earned $10,000 per sponsored tweet.