Fact Check: Did Patrick Mahomes reject a $10M offer from Elon Musk?
AUSTIN, TEXAS: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has been making headlines recently as his electric vehicle company faced backlash and vandalism after the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) slashed spending of federal agencies, fired thousands of federal employees, and canceled billions in wasteful government contracts.
Amid this, a rumor recently circulated online claiming that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes rejected a $10 million offer from Elon Musk. But is there any truth to this?
Claim: Patrick Mahomes rejected a $10M offer from Elon Musk
A rumor spread on Facebook on Wednesday, March 26, claiming that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes rejected a $10 million offer from tech billionaire Elon Musk.
The Facebook post garnered more than 14,000 reactions at the time of filing the story.
The post was linked to an article on the site atulu.com, from where the rumor seems to have originated.
The article stated, "Tech mogul and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk made headlines when he offered a remarkable $10 million donation. The offer came in response to the ongoing discussions surrounding the future of football and the growing influence of Patrick Mahomes' legacy, particularly his impact on both the NFL and youth development through his football program."
It added, "Musk, known for his larger-than-life persona and his passion for supporting innovative causes, expressed his admiration for Mahomes' leadership both on and off the field. 'Patrick Mahomes has redefined the game of football,' Musk tweeted. 'I stand with you, Patrick.'"
However, per the article, Mahomes rejected Musk’s generous donation.
"'Keep it and spend it on something that actually helps people,' Mahomes said, turning down the donation with humility and a focus on social justice issues that few could have predicted," the article stated.
False: No evidence to back the viral claim
The claim made in the Facebook post is false as the interaction never occurred, and there is no evidence that Elon Musk offered $10 million to Patrick Mahomes, according to Snopes.
Moreover, no major news outlet covered any such news, and a Google search as of March 29 did not show any such result.
Furthermore, artificial intelligence-detection software Hive showed that the text was 99.8% likely to be AI-generated, per Snopes.
Similar claim of Elon Musk pledging $10M to sponsor Caitlin Clark surfaced online
Earlier in March, a similar rumor surfaced online claiming Elon Musk had pledged $10 million to support basketball player Caitlin Clark and expressed his support for her on X.
However, this post was also debunked by Snopes as they stated that it originated from a satirical source.
The post read, "BREAKING NEWS: Elon Musk Backs Caitlin Clark with $10 Million in Funding: 'I Support You, Caitlin Clark'."
It added, "In a surprising and generous move, Elon Musk has announced that he is providing $10 million in funding to basketball star Caitlin Clark, a gesture of support that has caught the attention of sports fans and business communities alike."
Snopes reported that no evidence supports the claim that Elon Musk supported Caitlin Clark on X or pledged $10 million to sponsor her.
