Is Elon Musk on TikTok?
Social media purist Elon Musk has reportedly opened accounts on rival platforms Instagram and TikTok to generate public interest in SpaceX.
Elon Musk by Getty/Bloomberg
Social media purist Elon Musk has reportedly opened accounts on rival platforms Instagram and TikTok to generate public interest in SpaceX.
Accounts supposedly belonging to X platform owner Elon Musk have begun appearing on rival social media platforms such as Meta’s Instagram and the US joint venture TikTok.
Despite previous criticism from Musk surrounding rival platforms, with his most recent victim being Meta’s WhatsApp, the world’s richest man is allegedly migrating from X and trying something new.
Musk has almost 238 million followers on X and is the most followed account on the platform, which begs the question: Why would Musk want or need any other social media account?
If we know anything about Musk, it's that he didn’t just join rival social media platforms on a whim – he most likely has a meticulous plan and a specific agenda.
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SpaceX, Musk’s aerospace technology company, reportedly filed its first initial public offering (IPO) at the beginning of April, marking its transition from a private entity into a publicly traded company.
This transition could explain the accounts purporting to be Musk, as the tech mogul may be using TikTok and Instagram to manufacture buzz surrounding SpaceX.
This makes sense in the context of Musk joining competing social media services, as he already has a fellowship of SpaceX-loving followers on his home platform.
However, it may be harder to infiltrate the seemingly liberal echo chamber that is TikTok and Instagram.
As the commander and chief of X, the platform that Reddit users call a “Nazi cesspit,” Musk may not need to appease the algorithm that reportedly prioritizes conservative content.
But Musk may have to try harder with other platforms.
Musk’s verified TikTok account has reached almost 109,000 followers in just four days. The account uploaded one video of Musk discussing the future, followed by a montage of his tech ventures.
The clip received over 2 million views, nearly 150,000 likes, and more than 15,300 comments.
The Instagram account reportedly belonging to the tech billionaire has almost 18,000 followers but has no posts, and its bio says “I like building things,” according to The New York Times.
There are also various clone accounts purporting to be Musk, which makes it difficult to verify their legitimacy.
Cybernews was unable to verify the authenticity of these accounts.
All accounts (X, Instagram, and TikTok) use the same handle (@elonmusk) and the same profile picture, an animated version of the viral image of Musk smoking a joint on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
Musk has not publicly claimed ownership of either account, nor has he urged his X followers to engage with “his” content on Instagram and TikTok.
The world’s richest man, and potential soon-to-be trillionaire following SpaceX’s IPO, has criticized Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms in the past.
Musk has accused TikTok of rotting users’ brains and Instagram of being a shallow and superficial platform that promotes “thirst traps” and other vapid content.
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