Publicly traded companies are run by some of the world’s most successful executives, and many of these executives have an active social media presence. For their business wisdom, off-topic opinions and other insights, these five successful executives are worth following on social media.

Richard Branson of Virgin Group (Tii:SPCE)

Richard Branson uses Twitter (Tii:TWTR) the way social media was originally intended to be used. His daily tweets are directly from him, and they often include personal anecdotes or stories. He also usually responds to a few tweets a day, always welcoming insights from customers of Virgin America and his other Virgin Group companies.

Most importantly, Branson’s comments are top-notch, and he has fun on the platform. That fun is evident, especially in his #AskRichard live Twitter Q&As. Few other executives at the top have such a community-focused approach to social media.

Trevor Milton of Nikola Motors (Tii:NKLA)

Nikola Motors is a newcomer to the stock market, but its leader Trevor Milton is hardly a new face to those in the know. An accomplished executive who’s in charge of a new electric vehicle company, Milton knows his stuff -- and he frequently shares it.

Specifically, Milton frequently shares his thoughts on Twitter. From business happenings with Nikola Motors to more general environmentalist thoughts, there are many tidbits to be gleaned. His informative thoughts on hydrogen power are especially well-articulated for the 280-character platform.

Bill Gates of Microsoft (Tii:MSFT)

Bill Gates isn’t the most active executive on social media -- you won’t even see him tweeting or posting every day. Sometimes when the quiet ones speak up, however, it’s wise to listen. Much of Gates’ life today is focused on efforts that his foundation has undertaken, and that’s a lot of what you’ll see when he does say something on Twitter or LinkedIn. Health, poverty, race, education and many other issues are covered, and it’s clear that Gates is committed to doing good all over the world. Follow him, and you’ll learn more about both what he’s doing and what you can do too.

Mary Barra of General Motors (Tii:GM)

The female perspective is a minority point of view among C-level executives, and female leaders at this level who are on social media are even less common. This makes General Motors CEO Marry Barra’s presence especially enlightening.

Barra’s account is understandably filled with General Motors news and comments, and these help create a birds-eye-view of how the company functions. Interspersed with these comments are notes on what else Barra is doing, which involves a lot of work with the leadership of Detroit.

Hans Vestberg of Verizon (Tii:VZ)

Want a good picture of what a CEO’s life actually looks like? Follow Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg on Twitter, where you’ll find news about Verizon’s operations right alongside pictures of running local trails in New Jersey. #Runwithhans is one of his more used hashtags.

Follow Top Executives on Social Media

These executives are some of the most successful business leaders in the world, but their social media use goes beyond their official company roles. Follow them, and you’ll get all sorts of news on everything from a company’s latest developments to charitable causes in Africa and running trails in the U.S. These accounts truly show the diverse information that’s available on social media.