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An article that recently started floating on social media has now gone viral for claiming that Elon Musk suggested that Bill Gates should serve time in prison. While the article itself was published by a website called Space X Mania on August 27, 2023, it was shared on Facebook by the SpaceX Lovers account two months later, on October 27, and has since garnered significant attention.
The title of the article reads:
“Elon Musk: “It’s Time To Put Bill Gates In Prison”"
As per the website, Elon Musk made the comment during a conversation between both billionaires for a virtual event called Billionaire Banter: The Future of Tech. The article talked about how Bill Gates claimed that he had beaten Musk at a game of Minesweeper back in 2001, which left the Tesla CEO irritated, leading the conversation to take an unexpected turn:
“The playful jabs quickly escalated when Gates brought up the time he beat Musk at a game of Minesweeper back in 2001. Musk, visibly pretending to be irritated, retaliated, “Well, Bill, maybe it’s time you faced some real challenges. How about a stint in jail? I think orange would look great on you.” The online audience erupted with laughter, clearly relishing the theatrical rivalry between the two tech icons.”
While the article might look like it is accurate, in reality, no such event has ever taken place, and at no point has Elon Musk stated that Bill Gates should go to jail. Moreover, the website that published the article has also specified in its "About Us" section that it publishes satirical articles that are fake and hold no truth. The article itself has also been tagged as a "satire."
Hence, the news about Elon Musk suggesting that Bill Gates should be put in jail is fake, and not true. In reality, the Twitter CEO has not stated anything like this about Gates.
Fake news debunked as article claiming that Elon Musk suggested Bill Gates should be in jail is published by a satirical website: More details revealed
Fake news is not uncommon in the online world and the latest to make rounds is a Space X Mania article claiming that Musk called out Gates and stated that he should be behind bars.
However, the website has a history of publishing such fake and satirical stories, not only about Musk, but also about several others. From Gordon Ramsay throwing Rapinoe out of his restaurant, to writing about the Biden administration dismantling space force, the website has published a number of similar articles.
In fact, the About section of the website also highlights that it posts satirical content:
“Welcome to our website, owned and operated by Funky Productions LLC. We are a team of writers and editors based in New York, USA, dedicated to providing our readers with the latest news, analysis, and satire related to Elon Musk, Space, SpaceX, and everything in between.”
Further elaborating on their satirical content, the website mentions:
"At our website, we pride ourselves on offering a unique perspective on the world of space exploration. Our satirical articles provide a fresh and entertaining take on the latest space news, while our analysis delves deep into the technical, financial, and political aspects of space travel."
While the news about the exchange of words between Musk and Gates is fake and untrue, it has once again pointed out the importance of verifying facts before sharing anything on social media, as it can be misleading for many.
