Get PolitiFact in your inbox.
Speak no evil: Claims Elon Musk said he was going to expose Bill Gates are satire
If Your Time is short
-
This claim originated on a self-described satire site.
Fellow billionaires Elon Musk and Bill Gates have drawn attention for a supposed feud disclosed in Walter Isaacson’s 2023 book about the X owner, "Elon Musk."
But claims Musk said he would expose Gates, a philanthropist who co-founded Microsoft Corp., because he’s "evil" originated on a self-described satire site.
"Elon Musk is going to expose Bill Gates soon, says ‘he’s evil,’" read text in a Sept. 8 Threads post that showed images of Musk and Gates.
"Elon Musk’s shocking claim: Bill Gates is ‘evil’— prepare for the ultimate exposé!," the post said.
Featured Fact-check
It was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)
SpaceXMania, which claims to "bring you the freshest fake news," posted a story on its site Nov. 8 with this headline: "Breaking: Elon Musk exposes Bill Gates on X, says ‘he’s evil.’"
The story was labeled "satire" and we found no evidence on Musk’s X account or elsewhere online that he called Gates "evil."
We rate this post False.
Our Sources
Threads post, Sept. 8, 2024
Blog post, Nov. 8, 2024
Fox Business, Bill Gates says Elon Musk was 'super mean to me' after Tesla stock feud, Sept. 11, 2023
CNN, The origin of Elon Musk’s feud with Bill Gates, according to Musk’s new biography, Sept. 11, 2023
X search, Sept. 11, 2024
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Ciara O'Rourke
Speak no evil: Claims Elon Musk said he was going to expose Bill Gates are satire
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.