Fact Check: Has Elon Musk threatened to pull his $40M Super Bowl deal over Bad Bunny row?

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A claim has gone viral suggesting that Elon Musk threatened to cancel a $40 million Super Bowl deal if Bad Bunny were confirmed as the 2026 halftime performer.

The post appears to have originated from the account @Girlpatriot1974, also known as “Girl Patriot.” It stated: “Elon Musk has threatened to pull his $40 million Super Bowl sponsorship if Bad Bunny … performs.” The post quickly gained traction and was shared widely.

Bad Bunny, meanwhile, has been in the headlines following reports that Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson said they had “no idea who he was.”

Claim: Elon Musk threatened to pull a $40M Super Bowl sponsorship over Bad Bunny’s 2026 performance

On October 11, the X account @Girlpatriot1974 shared a post alleging that Musk and conservative critics opposed Bad Bunny’s comments about fearing ICE raids at his concerts, calling them anti-American. The post claimed that Musk threatened to withdraw a $40 million sponsorship deal unless the NFL replaced the Puerto Rican singer as its 2026 halftime performer.

“Elon Musk has threatened to pull his $40 million Super Bowl sponsorship if Bad Bunny, announced as the 2026 halftime performer, goes on. Musk and conservative critics oppose Bad Bunny’s comments about fearing ICE raids at his concerts, calling them anti-American. The NFL faces pressure to replace him or risk losing advertisers, while Bad Bunny’s fans and others slam Musk’s ultimatum as censorship,” said the profile going by Girl Patriot.

The post, which featured a collage of Musk and Bad Bunny, went viral, with some outlets such as Gridiron Heroics reportedly referencing the story and fan reactions.

Fact Check: The claim is false, no evidence Musk made such a threat

There is no credible evidence that Elon Musk ever threatened to cancel a $40 million Super Bowl sponsorship because of Bad Bunny. Neither Musk nor his companies (Tesla or X) have made any such statements publicly.

Even Grok, Musk’s AI project, debunked the viral rumor, stating: “This claim is unfounded and appears to be misinformation. Elon Musk has made no such threat about pulling Super Bowl sponsorship related to Bad Bunny, as confirmed by the absence of any statements from him or Tesla/X on the matter."

Similar false claims have circulated in the past — including fabricated reports suggesting Coca-Cola and other sponsors might pull out over Bad Bunny’s involvement — none of which were true.

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