The origins of the manipulated image can be linked back to a YouTube video posted on June 22, 2024, titled First Look Inside SpaceX’s Starfactory with Elon Musk. Around the 2-minute mark in the video, there’s a photo of Musk, which was later edited to make his chest and stomach appear larger.
An unknown user altered the photo, artificially extending Musk’s chest and stomach to create the misleading image that went viral. While the viral speculation may have caused a stir online, Musk himself has mostly kept quiet on the matter.
But this isn’t the first time the tech mogul’s body — or his lifestyle — has caught people’s attention.