Elon Musk is the focus of a new wave of viral claims alleging that he plans to purchase McDonald's and CNN, sparked by unverified social media posts in the days after Donald Trump's election win. The rumors suggest Musk aims to overhaul major institutions, including the fast-food giant and the news network, purportedly to "fix the media."
A Facebook post from late October kicked off the speculation, claiming Musk had “officially announced” his intention to acquire McDonald’s. This supposed announcement quickly gained traction online despite the lack of evidence. Neither Musk nor McDonald's has released any statement confirming such a move.
“Buy cnn or shitty msnbc, call it xTV or tXv and restore journalism. I’m sure you can get them for a bag or marbles and McDouble,” an X user tweeted.
“The demonic dems are pathetic. Let's get Alex Jones on the new CNN, the Conservative News Network, now owned by #ElonMusk! Make it happen!” another added.
The claims also include alleged plans for Musk to acquire CNN for a hefty $3 billion. This rumour appears to stem from a satirical account on Facebook known as “Gridiron Glory,” which posted that Musk was “reportedly eyeing CNN” to address perceived media bias. The post, shared on November 4, gained thousands of interactions and created confusion among readers unfamiliar with its satirical nature.
These rumours follow a pattern: Musk has been linked to a series of fictitious claims involving potential purchases of well-known brands, especially since Trump's election win. In reality, Musk’s only recent public comments related to such acquisitions have been humorous or hypothetical. In a 2022 tweet, he joked that he would “buy McDonald’s and fix all the ice cream machines.” He quickly tempered expectations by adding, “Listen, I can’t do miracles, okay.”
“You should just buy them and delete them,” one X user said.
Since then, Musk’s supposed intentions to buy legacy media outlets, including CNN and Fox News, have become a recurring theme online. Earlier this month, his parody account tweeted, “I’m going to buy CNN, Fox News, and every legacy media outlet then change their logos to 🤡🤡🤡🤡… Thoughts?” The tweet, seen by many as tongue-in-cheek, was interpreted by some users as a genuine plan.
Despite Musk's Parody account's playful interactions with these rumors, there is no concrete evidence that he intends to purchase McDonald's, CNN, or any other major corporations currently. Social media posts about these acquisitions have been flagged by platforms such as Meta, part of ongoing efforts to curb misinformation.
As it stands, Musk remains focused on managing Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter), with no confirmed new ventures into the media or fast-food industries.
