On Nov. 8, 2023, SpaceXMania.com published an article claiming that Elon Musk had written “He’s evil” about Bill Gates on X. The article stated, “Elon Musk’s Accusation Ignites a Public Feud with Bill Gates, Revealing Deep Differences and Influential Clashes in the Tech World.”
The article also went on to state:
While Musk’s tweet is concise, its implications are far-reaching. It not only calls into question Gates’ character but also suggests that there may be a history of discord and differences between the two. As Musk’s tweet went viral, it drew both praise and condemnation from various quarters.
SpaceXLovers, a Facebook account for SpaceXMedia, also shared the article in a post and many users' comments suggested that they believed the story was real and supported Musk's alleged comment. One wrote, “Absolutely agree with Elon.”
But the article is not an account of real events. This article was presented as a work of satire and originated from a website that describes its content as satirical.
We have frequently covered stories from SpaceXMania, which describes itself as "a team of writers and editors based in New York, USA, dedicated to providing our readers with the latest news, analysis, and satire related to Elon Musk, Space, SpaceX, and everything in between."
The website's About Us section states:
At our website, we pride ourselves on offering a unique perspective on the world of space exploration. Our satirical articles provide a fresh and entertaining take on the latest space news, while our analysis delves deep into the technical, financial, and political aspects of space travel.
The website's disclaimer page states:
Please note that the article under the category "SATIRE" are satirical in nature and are not meant to be taken seriously. These articles are meant to be humorous and are often entirely made up. We make no claim that the information presented in these articles is true or accurate.
Readers should exercise caution and use their own judgment when reading and interpreting our satirical articles. We take no responsibility for any actions taken based on the content of these articles.
We understand that some readers may be unfamiliar with satire and may not understand that these articles are not meant to be taken at face value. It is the responsibility of the reader to discern the intent of these articles and to understand that they are not presented as factual news.
A biography of Musk, written by Walter Isaacson, said that the two tech billionaires were rivals after the two had a meeting in 2022 that went sideways over their differing views on climate and philanthropy.
However, given that there is no evidence of Musk having tweeted this and the publisher of the article characterizes its content as "satire," we rate this claim as Labeled Satire.
For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.