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Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla and SpaceX, is suspected of exaggerating his video game skills. (Photo by Apu Gomes/Getty Images)
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Elon Musk is perpetually in the spotlight for controversy, but the most recent uproar involving the world’s richest man might be the most absurd—Musk faces allegations of pretending to excel at video games.
Many admirers perceive Musk as having remarkable time management abilities, juggling parental responsibilities while overseeing several massive enterprises, sharing often on X, and indulging in video games.
Musk even discovers time to share complimentary, AI-generated images of himself as a gladiator.
Nevertheless, it has always seemed somewhat questionable that the world’s wealthiest individual (who is described by many as a relentless workaholic) manages to find time to be an adept gamer.
It is certainly conceivable that the serial entrepreneur might play video games to unwind after work, but achieving proficiency often necessitates a significant time investment.
Elon Musk Is A Dubiously Skilled Gamer
During his guest appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Musk claimed he was among the leading Diablo IV players globally.
Surprisingly, this assertion turned out to be accurate (at least at that moment), but it genuinely raises questions—likely, Musk lacks enough extra hours in the day.
Recently, Musk once again raised eyebrows among gamers after disclosing himself as a premier player of Path of Exile 2, boasting high-level characters outfitted with extremely powerful gear, suggesting that an extensive amount of time had been invested in his account.
Rather naively, Musk streamed himself playing the game, and gamers quickly identified him as an amateur.
A thorough Reddit thread detailing the evidence against Musk reveals that he was unaware of fundamental gameplay mechanics in Path of Exile 2, suggesting he couldn’t have independently leveled his characters.
Gamers pointed out that Musk’s equipment was even superior to that of Twitch streamers who engage in the game full-time—they suspect the world’s richest man enlisted gamers to enhance his characters.
On social media, observers expressed confusion regarding why Musk would resort to this; video gaming is, after all, an incredibly time-consuming pastime, often viewed as a guilty pleasure rather than an achievement.
Elon Musk Struggles With ‘Elden Ring’
This isn’t the inaugural instance where Musk has seemingly pretended to have an interest in mainstream media.
Following the launch of Elden Ring, a notoriously challenging bestseller, Musk shared a screenshot of his character, but his setup immediately revealed him as an imposter.
Though Musk’s character was relatively high-level, he had equipped items that were illogical for a magic user, or indeed, any Elden Ring participant—he didn’t even include his healing flask, a basic item obtained at the start of the game.
Elden Ring demands players make very careful and intentional choices about which stats to upgrade, or armor to don, as even a slightly heavier piece can impede a player at a critical moment during a battle.
Humorously, Musk’s character was depicted using dual shields, an absurd loadout that granted no tactical benefit whatsoever—this is a game where just a slightly heavier helmet can dramatically affect performance.
Unsurprisingly, Musk’s Elden Ring build faced relentless ridicule on social media.
Musk’s questionable grasp of pop culture, however, extends well beyond video games.
Elon Musk Is An Enthusiast of ‘Blade Runner’ And Anime
Musk asserts that he has been significantly influenced by science fiction, and perhaps he has, but he tends to make missteps when mentioning notable works in the genre, suggesting he isn’t as well-versed in pop culture as he portrays himself to be.
On X, Musk referred to Tesla’s Cybertruck as “an armored personnel carrier from the future – what Bladerunner would have driven.”
The fact that there is no character named “Bladerunner” in Blade Runner seemed to have little effect on Musk.
When queried by a fan about his familiarity with the acclaimed anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, Musk merely echoed a name from the show, “NERV,” the organization that combats extraterrestrial adversaries.
I’m not suggesting that Musk has never watched Evangelion, but his response was somewhat peculiar, akin to replying to a question about one’s fondness for Star Trek by simply blurting out “Federation.”
Indeed, it would be entirely reasonable if Musk had never engaged with a significant amount of media belonging to the canon of science fiction—the man bears substantial responsibilities.
Having the luxury to consume an excessive amount of media is hardly a point of pride—overseeing SpaceX is undoubtedly a greater achievement than excelling at video games.
Undoubtedly, Musk deals with more pressing matters.
things to engage with during his leisure rather than roving the desolation of Elden Ring, two shields grasped firmly.
Why feign otherwise?
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