Fact Check: Is Elon Musk evicting Dr Anthony Fauci after buying his house?

WASHINGTON, DC: Following the tense Senate hearing of Dr Anthony Fauci, where he was questioned about the origins of COVID-19, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that Elon Musk has bought Fauci’s house and is evicting him. The claim has triggered questions about its authenticity, prompting a fact-check into the rumor.

Claim: Elon Musk bought  Anthony Fauci's house and is evicting him

A viral post on X claimed that Elon Musk just announced he bought Anthony Fauci’s house and is evicting him.

According to the post, Musk says if the law and Congress won’t hold Anthony Fauci accountable, he will. “I can’t lock him up,” Musk declared, “but I can ruin him. A private trust owns his home. I just purchased it. Our lawyers are drafting his eviction notice as we speak.”

According to Musk, Fauci poured nearly everything he had into security upgrades on the property, then took out a massive loan he’ll never be able to repay to fund a 24-hour security detail for the next five years. 

The post further alleges that Musk plans to demand immediate repayment of the loan secured against Fauci's home by "calling the note due."

It goes on to claim that Fauci, who it portrays as having held significant authority during the COVID-19 pandemic, is now facing the consequences of Musk's financial resources and influence. 

Fact Check: Elon Musk did not make such an announcement 

The claim, however, is false, as there is no evidence that the Tesla CEO made such an announcement. 

There are no publicly available statements or news reports that say Musk has bought Fauci’s house and is evicting him. A search on Google and on Musk’s social media handles has no such remarks or announcement. 

If the claim were true, prominent news media would have widely covered it, making headlines, given Musk’s popularity and Fauci's recent Senate hearing.

Senate hearing puts Anthony Fauci under scrutiny

The claim surfaced after a Senate hearing on Wednesday, July 29, during which Fauci repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment while being questioned by Republican senators led by Rand Paul.

The hearing focused on allegations that Fauci misled Congress about the origins of Covid-19, government-funded research, pandemic policies, and federal recordkeeping.

The former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director has consistently denied misleading Congress or funding research that caused the pandemic.

He has maintained that the scientific evidence available at the time supported the theory that the virus originated naturally, while remaining open to further investigation.