Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk purchased CNN in November 2024.
Shortly after President-elect Donald Trump’s reelection victory in early November 2024, a rumor unfold on-line that X proprietor and Trump supporter Elon Musk had agreed to purchase information community CNN for $3 billion.
For instance, on Nov. 9, an X person shared a meme that learn: “Elon Musk Agrees to $3 Billion to Purchase CNN. Elon Musk Reportedly Eyeing CNN Acquisition: ‘I am going to Repair the Media, One Community at a Time.'”
Argentine President Javier Milei additionally promoted the rumor whereas talking in entrance of the Argentine Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 7 — the identical day Reuters reported on Milei’s plans to later meet with Musk and Trump within the U.S.
Quite a few social media customers and a few publishers additionally shared the purported news as truth, with some citing Milei’s remarks.
Nonetheless, the declare that Musk had bought CNN was not true. The rumor originated weeks earlier on a web site that described its output as parody and satire.
Largest Newspaper in Argentina Shared the Rumor
Of the various on-line posts sharing the rumor, one Facebook post from early November that obtained round 75,000 reactions learn: “Elon Musk Agrees to $3 Billion to Purchase CNN. Elon Musk Reportedly Eyeing CNN Acquisition: ‘I am going to Repair the Media, One Community at a Time.'”
A YouTube video from Nov. 1 displayed the title: “Elon Musk: ‘I’m formally shopping for CNN.'” Numerous users on X additionally repeated this rumor.
One writer that shared the declare was Clarin — the Spanish-language newspaper with the largest distribution in Argentina. Clarin posted on X (archived) in early November: “Javier Milei revealed that Elon Musk ‘purchased’ CNN and that it is going to be Donald Trump’s chainsaw.”
On Clarin.com, the Spanish-language article (archived) offered a short transcription of the related part of Milei’s remarks. He mentioned, partly: “That is one thing to get enthusiastic about. You are going to see that what Donald Trump does might be talked about just a little higher, as a result of as we speak Elon Musk purchased that filthy ‘woke’ bastion that was CNN, which signifies that now we’re not solely going to have freedom in X, however we’re additionally going to have a community that is not so socialist, so left-wing.” (Snopes used Google Translate to supply translations for this quote and others showing on this story.)
The @NewsLiberdade X account printed a short video (archived) that includes Spanish subtitles that confirmed Milei’s remarks about Musk and CNN.
As one other instance of a writer sharing the false rumor, the conservative-political Brazilian manufacturing firm Brasil Paralelo ran it in a Portuguese-language article in early November. The story’s headline learn: “Javier Milei revealed that Elon Musk ‘purchased’ CNN.” Hours later, Brasil Paralelo eliminated the article. The writer has since reported a second story (archived) clarifying that no credible individual confirmed Musk’s supposed buy of CNN. Even so, as of Nov. 8, Google search results nonetheless displayed the headline for the retracted story, as did several posts on X.
Musk-CNN Rumor Originated as Satire
On Oct. 24, PolitiFact (archived) reported the info and origins of the false rumor that Musk had bought CNN.
Six days earlier, on Oct. 18, the SpaceXMania web site printed an article (archived) displaying the identical headline because the aforementioned Fb publish. That headline learn: “Elon Musk Reportedly Eyeing CNN Acquisition: ‘I am going to Repair the Media, One Community at a Time.'”
The footer section of SpaceXMania.com clarified that its output consisted of parody and satire. The disclaimer learn: “Welcome to SpaceXMania, your go-to supply for the newest Parody information and hilarious satirical commentary. We wish to emphasize that NOTHING ON THIS WEBSITE IS REAL! Get pleasure from People.”
The SpaceXMania.com-affiliated Fb web page, SpaceX Fanclub, additionally shared a post on Oct. 18 studying: “Elon Musk Is Contemplating CNN Acquisition To Set Issues Proper, Says ‘Our Nation Will Be In A Higher Place.'” The Intro for the Fb web page learn: “We publish SATIRE, nothing on this web page is actual.”
For background, right here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that decision their output humorous or satirical.
