Elon Musk admits to using fake toddler profiles on X
What's the story
In a recent deposition, Elon Musk, the renowned billionaire entrepreneur, confirmed that he manages multiple toddler profiles on X (previously Twitter), the social media platform he owns. This surprising revelation was part of a 108-page affidavit disclosed by HuffPost on Monday. The deposition is linked to an ongoing lawsuit where Musk is accused of falsely implicating Ben Brody, a 22-year-old Jewish man, in a Neo-Nazi altercation.
Test account
Musk's alleged roleplay account revealed
Musk has been associated with the social media account @ermnmusk, which is speculated to be used by him for roleplaying as his young child. During the deposition, Musk referred to this profile as a "test account" that he had "briefly used." The link between Musk and this account was initially suspected when he shared a screenshot from it in April 2023.
Removed content
Deleted tweets from the account
The @ermnmusk profile had several unusual tweets as revealed by the The Wayback Machine. These tweets have since been deleted. However, one such tweet states, "I will finally turn 3 on May 4th!" This coincides with the real birthdate and age of Musk's son X AE A-XII. Other removed tweets included requests for followers and comments about Japanese girls and nightclubs.
Legal battle
Lawsuit against Musk over conspiracy theory
The lawsuit against Musk was initiated by Brody, who claims he was targeted by a conspiracy theory propagated by Musk. A video of a disrupted neo-Nazi rally went viral, with internet users suggesting it was orchestrated by federal agents and identifying Brody as one of them. Musk's interactions with these tweets are still visible today.
Second account
Musk confirms another alternate social media profile
During the deposition, Musk also acknowledged another alternate profile, referred to as "baby smoke 9,000" in the court transcript. This could potentially be @babysmurf9000, another suspected covert account mentioned by Musk himself during an X Spaces event. The account remains active today and has venture capitalist Marc Andreessen among its followers.