Billionaire Elon Musk’s most fervent supporters are being corrected for spreading misinformation more than nearly any other accounts on X, an analysis of the platform’s Community Notes shows.
A list published on New Year’s Eve tracks the profiles hit with the most Community Notes, a feature that allows users to place a fact-check on posts.
Numerous figures on the list frequently interact with and praise Musk on X.
Coming in at No. 2 behind a self-described Brazilian news source is @iluminatibot, which boasts 1.5 million followers. The account, which focuses on subjects such as “The Illuminati and “The NWO,” has repeatedly praised Musk for embracing conspiracy theories.
The account at No. 5 belongs to right-wing social media personality Ian Miles Cheong, who Musk not only follows but has repeatedly communicated with. Cheong just last month was widely mocked online for apparently attempting to suck up to Musk by stating that he was opposed to the violence in the video game Grand Theft Auto after Musk said he couldn’t stomach shooting cops.
A Community Note, however, revealed that Cheong had written at least 255 articles detailing his experience with the game.
Stew Peters, a far-right conspiracy theorist known best for spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine, is listed at No. 6. Peters applauded not only Musk’s takeover of X, then known as Twitter, but the billionaire’s comments against the ADL. In recent days, though, Peters has shown disdain for Musk after accusing the billionaire of shadow-banning his account.
The conspiracy theorist known as Dom Lucre sits at No. 8. Lucre is best known for being suspended from X after sharing child exploitation material. Despite X’s so-called zero-tolerance policy, Musk ensured that Lucre was reinstated after outcry from his supporters.
The same theme continues outside the top 10. Far-right activist Laura Loomer comes in at number 12. Loomer, who had been suspended from the platform in 2018, was brought back by Musk in late 2022.
Yet perhaps the most telling entry is at number 27, a spot that is held by none other than Musk himself. Musk has frequently helped amplify conspiracy theories on his platform, including the claim that the man who broke into the home of Sen. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in 2022 was her husband Paul’s secret gay lover.
