A post shared on Facebook claims Tesla CEO Elon Musk is reportedly in talks to buy the Cincinnati Bengals for $15 million.
Verdict: False
The claim originally stems from a March 26 article published by modelwiki8.undergroundship.com. Content detection scans using GPTZero and QuillBot indicate the article text has been generated using artificial intelligence (AI).
Fact Check:
Tesla’s sales of electric vehicles dropped 13% in the first quarter of the year, according to Axios. Tesla delivered 336,681 vehicles in the first quarter compared to 386,810 for the same time period in the previous year, the outlet reported.
The Facebook post claims Musk is reportedly in talks to buy the Cincinnati Bengals for $15 million. “BREAKING NEWS: Elon Musk is reportedly in talks to buy Cincinnati Bengals for $15 billion – NFL World stunned as Mike Brown debates potential takeover,” the post reads.
A March 26 article published by modelwiki8.undergroundship.com repeats the claim.
The claim is false. Check Your Fact conducted a content detection scan using GPTZero and the results indicate the article text is 100% AI-generated. A second scan using QuillBot produces a slightly lower rating, indicating only 31% of the article text is “likely AI.”
Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find any reference to the claim using an advanced search of Musk’s verified X account @elonmusk. The claim does not appear on the website for the Cincinnati Bengals or the team’s verified social media accounts. The National Football League (NFL) has not publicly addressed the claim, either.
In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. If Musk, a public figure, was truly in talks to buy the Cincinnati Bengals, multiple media outlets would’ve covered it, yet none have. Actually, the opposite is true. On March 27, Lead Stories debunked the claim, tracing its origin to the same AI-generated article. (RELATED: No, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Did Not Threaten To Punch Elon Musk If He ‘Doesn’t Leave America Alone’)
This is not the first time a false claim involving Musk has circulated online. Check Your Fact previously debunked a viral Facebook post claiming Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes purportedly rejected Musk’s $10 million donation to his football program.