No, Elon Musk didn't post 'the last dollar' for Zelenskyy

Context

A screenshot supposedly showing an X (formerly Twitter) post by its owner, Elon Musk, has gained popularity on social media. The image features a dollar bill with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump making an obscene hand gesture, accompanied by the text, "This is the last dollar for Zelenskiy."

The post (archived here) had garnered more than 59,000 views at the time of writing.

However, it is fake. No such post exists on Musk's page, and the screenshot has not appeared in any reputable publication.

Closer look

We did not find such a post after checking Elon Musk's page on X. Considering his follower count, the reported number of views on the screenshot, and the scrutiny of his actions as one of the world's wealthiest and most influential individuals, even if the tweet were deleted shortly after it was posted, it would have been preserved in archives or screenshots in credible media. 

No such evidence exists in this case, and no reputable source has published this "post." The Wayback Machine search did not reveal any record of this publication in the internet archive. 

Moreover, upon enlarging the image, it is evident that the general background and text overlay do not match. This is easy to notice compared to the tweet that exists, as highlighted in the image below. The alignment of usernames is also inconsistent.

Upon enlarging the image, it is evident that the general background and text overlay do not match. (Source: X/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

A reverse image search revealed that this supposed publication initially gained traction in Russian media in different languages. Pravda, for example, shared it multiple times in various languages to its international audiences. The media, however, was inconsistent on the source. 

In posts from November 6, it stated, "Elon Musk gave Zelensky the last symbolical dollar of aid from the United States," but a few hours later, it labeled it as "a fake circulating on Ukrainian Telegram channels." 

On November 7, the outlet once again posted a screenshot claiming it to be Musk's tweet with the caption, "Elon Musk: the last dollar for Zelenskiy."

Pravda was inconsistent, publishing the screenshot with claims that it was genuine after saying it was a fake and originated in Ukrainian Telegram channels. "Yesterday" on the screenshot refers to November 7, 2024. (Source: Pravda.com/Screenshots/Modified by Logically Facts)

Pravda marked Russian Telegram channels as sources for these publications.

The post also surfaced on Ukrainian Telegram channels, with the earliest occurrence on November 6, 2024. While the author described the screenshot as satirical, the post includes the "edited" label.

Soon after the post started circulating online, The Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, part of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, stated on their X account that the publication was "a fake created to manipulate and provoke."

Since posts in Telegram groups and channels can be edited or deleted, it was impossible to pinpoint the image's original source and define whether the claim originated from a Ukrainian or Russian author.

While Elon Musk has previously made satirical comments regarding Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his requests for financial and military aid, no such posts have appeared on his page recently.

The verdict

No post featuring a dollar bill with a satirical image of Donald Trump and the statement about it being "the last dollar" for Zelenskyy has appeared on Elon Musk's page. The image was fabricated, so we labeled the claim as fake.

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