Fact Check: Did X, Elon Musk award Nick Shirley $100k for exposing Somali fraud in Minnesota?

WASHINGTON, DC: In December 2025, YouTuber Nick Shirley posted a video where he exposed widespread fraud in Minnesota's public assistance programs, particularly those involving Somali-American communities.

After more than a month, a rumor surfaced on social media claiming that X (formerly Twitter) and tech billionaire Elon Musk awarded Nick Shirley $100k for exposing Somali fraud in Minnesota. But is there any truth to this? Let us find out below.

Claim:  X, Elon Musk awarded Nick Shirley $100k for exposing Somali fraud in Minnesota

Several social media accounts came up with online posts claiming that X and Elon Musk awarded Nick Shirley $100k for exposing Somali fraud in Minnesota.

A post read, "BREAKING: 𝕏 and Elon Musk have awarded Nick Shirley $100,000 for his article detailing how exposed Somali fraud furthered by Tim Walz in Minnesota CONGRATS, @nickshirleyy! Well deserved!"

Similarly, another X post mentioned, "HUGE !! X Creators announces Nick Shirley has just been awarded $100,000 for his work exposing the Minnesota home health care fraud scandal. Congratulations! X is the Media Now." 

Meanwhile, @MAGAVoice posted, "BREAKING. Elon Musk and 𝕏 award Nick Shirley $100,000 for writing an EPIC Article on EXPOSING Tim Walz MAJOR CONGRATS"

"Elon Musk is personally rewarding the truth by giving Nick Shirley $100K for blowing the lid off the massive fraud scandal in Minnesota," wrote another X account.

Fact check: True, multiple sources confirm the rumor

The claims made in the online posts are true, as several genuine X accounts, including journalist Nick Sortor, posted about the award.

This occurred in early February 2026, shortly after Shirley's viral video and related article gained massive traction (over 100+ million views across platforms).

Moreover, the award was presented through X's written-content competition or a similar initiative to reward impactful articles that informed the public and drove conversations.

Meanwhile, congratulatory posts and announcements (from accounts such as @nicksortor that are linked to Shirley's article) confirm the $100k prize was for his reporting on the fraud allegations.

Shirley's work alleged widespread fraud in Minnesota's federally/state-funded programs. It exposed empty or minimally operational Somali-run daycares receiving millions in Child Care Assistance Program funds without providing services.

Last December, Nick Shirley also thanked Elon Musk for defending free speech and helping reshape society in the United States and abroad.

The YouTuber made the comments during an appearance on Alex Jones’ 'InfoWars', where he argued that Musk’s influence, particularly since buying Twitter and rebranding it as X, has had sweeping political and cultural consequences at a moment he described as make-or-break for the country.

He added that Musk’s takeover of the platform opened the door for uncensored debate during consequential moments, including recent elections.