Did Elon Musk Really Say He’s Buying McDonald’s?
In late 2024, a rumor spread quickly online claiming that the well-known tech entrepreneur, Elon Musk, announced his intention to buy the McDonald’s fast food chain.
The statement supposedly made by Musk was, “I am officially buying McDonald’s.”
This caused quite a stir, captivating the attention of internet users everywhere.

The rumor gained traction after an owner of a YouTube channel named Voyager uploaded a video on October 15, 2024, with the title “Elon Musk: ‘I am officially buying McDonald’s.’”
Receiving over 273,000 views, the video came complete with a thumbnail purportedly showing Musk surrounded by McDonald’s employees, adding to its credibility for some viewers.
The video’s description claimed to offer an inside scoop on a sensational announcement by Musk, who is behind major companies like Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and once ran Twitter.
The YouTuber claimed that Musk’s supposed plan was not expected by anyone and took the world by surprise.
Following this, the rumor expanded further through platforms like TikTok and Facebook, nearly becoming a viral sensation. A TikTok video sharing the same claim gained over 355,000 views on October 28, and was later reposted on Facebook, further spreading the false information.
The video resurfaced once again on November 2, when the YouTube channel “Elon Musk Rewind” shared the same rumor with a new thumbnail, continuing to mislead audiences.
Unraveling the Truth Behind the Rumor
Despite the widespread belief driven by these social media posts, the claim that Musk said “I am officially buying McDonald’s” proved to be unfounded.
Comprehensive searches provided no news articles or credible sources confirming any such plan by Musk to acquire the iconic burger chain.
Reliable fact-checking organizations like Check Your Fact and PolitiFact have thoroughly debunked these claims as false.
The creation of these misleading videos was achieved using advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tools. These tools allowed users to fabricate fake video thumbnails and narrations, manage video clip selections, and perform edits, all through simple text prompts.
It’s not the first time such misinformation has spread.
Previously, videos misleadingly claimed that Musk’s Tesla would release an affordable motorhome priced below $17,000 or that he had purchased automotive giant General Motors.
Musk’s Lighthearted Jibe at McDonald’s
Although the rumor regarding Musk buying McDonald’s holds no truth, there was an instance when Musk mentioned the fast-food giant on Twitter.
In April 2022, during his initial interest in acquiring Twitter, Musk joked on the platform about the fast-food chain.
He shared a fabricated tweet depicting a playful post from his account stating, “Now I’m going to buy McDonald’s and fix all of the ice cream machines.”
The jest referred to the long-standing issue McDonald’s faced with its frequently broken ice cream machines, a problem that had become somewhat of a running joke online.
Sarcastically, Musk commented above the image of his fake tweet, “Listen, I can’t do miracles ok,” further emphasizing the humor intended in his tweet.
A Separate Satirical Take on the Situation
While examining these rumors, another satirical article was discovered on SpaceXMania.com, a site dedicated to parody and satire.
On May 18, 2023, following Musk’s jest about McDonald’s ice cream machines, the site published a humorous piece titled, “Just in: Elon Musk Teases Potential McDonald’s Acquisition To ‘Fix Their Ice Cream Machines.’”
This article, like the others, was clearly marked as satire, though it added fuel to the speculative fire surrounding Musk and McDonald’s.