Fact Check: Did Elon Musk crack 'unsolvable' math problem after Harvard professor's 'rich but dumb' jibe?
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS: Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been making headlines recently after he announced he was quitting the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) - 130 days in as special government employee in President Donald Trump's administration.
Meanwhile, a rumor circulated online claiming that Elon Musk solved an "unsolvable" math problem after a Harvard professor called him "rich but dumb".
But is there any truth to this? Let us find out below.
Claim: Elon Musk solved 'unsolvable' math problem at Harvard
A claim circulated online in May claiming that Elon Musk solved an "unsolvable" math problem after a Harvard professor called him "rich but dumb."
A user shared the rumor on Facebook and captioned the post, "A Harvard Professor Mocked Elon Musk as 'Rich But Dumb'—Then Musk Solved an 'Unsolveable' Math Problem in 2 MINUTES! The Crowd Went SILENT!"
"Dr Edward Kline, a 62-year-old calculus professor at Stanford with a reputation for his rigorous teaching style, was among the skeptics. "Mr Musk, you may have billions, but intelligence isn't something you can buy," the caption added.
It further mentioned, "I doubt you could solve a basic Harvard problem that my students struggle with." Kline handed Musk a whiteboard marker with a smirk, saying, "Let's see if you can handle this in under 10 minutes. I'll be impressed if you even get halfway." What happened next left the room in stunned silence...."
A Harvard Professor Mocked Elon Musk as ‘Rich But Dumb’—Then Musk Solved an ‘Unsolveable’ Math Problem in 2 MINUTES! 📷 The Crowd Went SILENT!
— Leonard Leonard (@Leonard73714140) May 29, 2025
Dr. Edward Kline, a 62-year-old calculus professor at Stanford with a reputation for his rigorous teaching style, was among the skeptics.… pic.twitter.com/f8DewkYysJ
The claim circulated across Facebook and X, accompanied by two pictures that claimed to show the moment Musk solved the math problem.
False: Elon Musk did not solve 'unsolvable' math problem at Harvard
The claims made in the online rumor are false, as there is no proper evidence to prove that Elon Musk solved an 'unsolvable' math problem at Harvard.
Searches on online search engines, such as Google and Bing, showed no credible reports about any such event, Snopes reported.
Meanwhile, one of the pictures that accompanied the claim had a logo for Grok, an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot developed by the Musk-owned company xAI, per the fact-checking outlet.
Moreover, Online detectors rated the other picture as likely to have been generated by AI.
Furthermore, the fact-checking outlet could not find any trace of "Dr Edward Kline," allegedly a Stanford University mathematics professor.
Elon Musk officially quits DOGE
Musk made his White House exit a day after publicly splitting with President Trump.
The tech billionaire posted to X on Wednesday, May 28, "As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending."
As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 29, 2025
The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.
He added, "The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government."
On Friday, May 30, Musk visited the Oval Office to bid farewell to his official role in the Trump administration.
The multi-billionaire's departure comes 130 days after Trump returned to office - the maximum allowable through his status as a "special government employee", BBC reported.
