Fact Check: Did Elon Musk mock Mark Cuban's net worth in response to billionaire wanting to buy X? Viral tweet debunked

A viral tweet circulating on social media claims that tech billionaire Elon Musk mocked fellow entrepreneur Mark Cuban's net worth in response to Cuban's interest in acquiring X.

On September 18, 2024, a tweet from the X account @ElonMuskAOC claimed that Musk publicly ridiculed Mark Cuban for suggesting he could afford to purchase the platform. The tweet is false, as Elon Musk did not respond to Mark Cuban's desire to purchase X with a sarcastic remark. One key piece of evidence is that the tweet originated from a parody account. Therefore, this tweet was found to be untrue.

The statement came after American businessman and investor Mark Cuban, in an interview with Wired, suggested that he wishes to acquire X and Fox but needs more funds to do so.

According to Business Insider, business magnate Elon Musk bought X in 2022 after a tumultuous, months-long legal battle for $44 billion. Before Musk, Vanguard Group held the largest position (10.3%).

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Elon Musk did not mock Mark Cuban's net worth in response to the billionaire wanting to buy X

As mentioned, the tweet from the parody account was false, and Musk did not respond in such a manner. The parody account's tweet was about another post suggesting Cuban was interested in buying X. The tweet showed a profile shot of Cuban's from Forbes, along with his net worth and source of income.

"Sorry Mark your card got declined. I bought X for $44B. You're 39 Billion dollars short," the tweet's claim captioned.

One of the strongest pieces of evidence is that the account @ElonMuskAOC explicitly identifies itself as a parody account, significantly undermining its credibility. Additionally, Elon Musk's official account on X features an "X" badge following his verified blue tick, whereas the parody account only had a verified blue tick.

Furthermore, the parody account @ElonMuskAOC incorrectly claimed that Mark Cuban's net worth of $5.7 billion was insufficient compared to Musk's X purchase price of $44 billion, suggesting a shortfall of $39 billion.

However, this calculation is flawed. With a net worth of $5.7 billion, Cuban would need $38.3 billion to match the purchase price. Such a substantial discrepancy is significant, as billionaires like Musk and Cuban are known for discussing precise figures rather than superficial estimates.

Additionally, a report by The Guardian in January 2024 indicated that the value of X had declined by 71%, bringing its value to $12.5 billion. Under these circumstances, Elon Musk would not have claimed to sell the shares at the original purchase price from 2022. Lastly, neither Musk nor Cuban have addressed the tweet by @ElonMuskAOC.

However, on September 17, Elon Musk did respond to a tweet by DogeDesigner, who highlighted Mark Cuban's interest in X. The tweet also mentioned that Cuban had previously criticized the platform on algorithms. Musk replied with a laughing emoji, depicting tears of joy.

The tweet came after Mark Cuban appeared in a technology magazine, Wired, on September 15, 2024. Cuban was asked by a journalist, Lauren Goode, about the influence of the "boomers" or the "Fox News generation" on current issues.

In response, Mark Cuban suggested that the problems could be resolved by purchasing and restructuring Fox News. At the same time, he showed interest in buying X.

"If I had enough money to do it, which I don't, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I don't have $15 or $20 billion in cash sitting around," Cuban said.

In late 2023, Cuban criticized X and Elon Musk over the use of algorithms, suggesting that Musk has controlled the algorithm and only wants people to see what he wants to show.

"He who controls the algorithm controls the platform. You will see what he wants you to see, and then, and only then, will your speech be your own," Cuban wrote on X.

This is not the first time Mark Cuban and Elon Musk have been mentioned in the news. The two have been in an odd relationship over X and its new features for a long time. However, for now, Cuban has not responded to Musk's reaction.