Musk Admits to Outsourcing Gaming Wins for a Competitive Edge!

The latest focus on Elon Musk has revolved around his presence at the second inauguration of President Donald Trump (along with a unique salute he performed at the gathering that pleased neo-Nazis). However, we have now received confirmation that his assertions of gaming prowess were only feasible due to others investing effort on his behalf.

If you’ve been too absorbed in the political climate to keep up with this side controversy, the brief overview is that gamers have spent months gathering proof that Musk isn’t nearly as skilled in the fantasy RPG titles Diablo IV and Path of Exile 2 as he claims. In podcast discussions with Joe Rogan and others, Musk has eagerly accepted accolades for ranking as a top player in these virtual realms without mentioning that he had assistance from anonymous gamers grinding to elevate his character levels, which requires an extraordinary commitment of time — even for someone who manages several major companies while involving themselves in a presidential administration. A Path of Exile livestream earlier this month demonstrated significant damage to his credibility, with Musk operating an exceptionally powerful character yet displaying minimal understanding of the game’s fundamentals.

With seemingly no option but to admit his shortcomings, Musk proceeded to respond to a series of DMs on X (formerly Twitter) from lesser-known YouTuber NicoWrex, who boasts fewer than 3,000 followers on the platform. NicoWrex cut to the chase, inquiring if Musk had indeed utilized “level boosting” (which means outsourcing the task of leveling up his characters to other players) “and/or acquired gear/resources for PoE2 and Diablo 4.” As seen in screenshots from NicoWrex’s YouTube video about their dialogue, published on Jan. 18, Musk answered with the “100” emoji, adding, “It’s impossible to defeat players in Asia if you don’t.”

NicoWrex further probes Musk on whether it was his “intention to take full credit for leveling your [hardcore] characters” in Path of Exile. (In the famously challenging “hardcore” mode of the game, a character that dies even once is permanently lost, and Musk’s account has had four characters reach levels in the 90s, placing them highly on the global leaderboard.) Musk denied any intention to mislead anyone about handling everything himself: “No, I never claimed that. The top accounts in Diablo or PoE necessitate multiple individuals playing the account to win a leveling competition,” he stated.

“But when I share a video of a game or am streaming, that is 100% me,” Musk also mentioned to NicoWreck, although that was never disputed within the gaming community. What had particularly outraged fans of Path of Exile 2 were the implications that Musk had seemingly depended on “real money trading,” or RMT, a method of purchasing valuable items with actual currency beyond the game’s framework, and “piloting,” or permitting others to play on your behalf — both potentially punishable offenses regardless of Musk’s suggestion that he’s not the only one employing these strategies.

Musk also defended his gameplay in Diablo IV, where he is recognized to have completed a specific endgame level in a remarkable timeframe. His former partner Grimes, amid a contentious custody dispute over their three children, has mentioned this achievement herself in a post on X. NicoWrex similarly contended in his video that Musk is a skilled player, and that the shortcuts he employs aren’t a significant issue, prompting many angry comments on YouTube. One critic remarked that Musk effectively “sponsored a team” and occasionally took control of his accounts “like a child who wants to be included.” Another denounced the video as a “pathetic attempt at whitewashing someone clearly cheating.”

Concluding their DM exchange, NicoWrex queried Musk, “Would you consider extending the olive branch and, as a gesture of goodwill, apologize to the PoE community for any confusion that might have arisen from this entire situation?” Musk replied, “What would I be apologizing to the PoE community for? And who are their elected representatives lmao.” Regarding Path of Exile 2 itself, Musk hinted that he would not be as engaged in the RPG in the forthcoming days due to other responsibilities. “I have to prepare for the Presidential transition, so lesser play for me for the next few days,” he communicated.

Of course, with the type of access Musk is presently enjoying to the Oval Office, it won’t be challenging to persuade Trump to grant him a “Best Gamer in the World” medal or a similar honor, even if he abandons the pastime entirely. Or he might convert his White House office into a gaming sanctuary — because if there’s one thing we should expect the head of the Department of Government Efficiency to excel at, it’s multitasking.