Elon Musk to buy McDonald’s and CNN after Trump’s victory? Netizens say: ‘Buy them and delete them’

Elon Musk is at the center of a new wave of viral claims claiming he plans to take over McDonald’s and CNN, fueled by unverified social media posts in the days following Donald Trump’s election victory. The rumors suggest Musk plans to overhaul major institutions including the fast food giant and the news network, ostensibly to “fix the media.”

A Facebook post from late October sparked the speculation, claiming that Musk had “officially announced” his intention to acquire McDonald’s. This supposed announcement quickly gained popularity online, despite the lack of evidence. Neither Musk nor McDonald’s have released a statement confirming such a move.

“Buy CNN or the bad MSNBC, call it xTV or tXv and restore journalism. I’m sure you can get them for a bag or marbles and McDouble,” one X user tweeted.

“The demon dems are pathetic. Let’s get Alex Jones on the new CNN, the Conservative News Network, now owned by #ElonMusk! Let it happen!” another added.

The claims also include alleged plans for Musk to acquire CNN for a hefty $3 billion. This rumor appears to have originated from a satirical account on Facebook known as “Gridiron Glory,” which posted that Musk was “reportedly monitoring CNN” to address perceived media bias. The post, shared on November 4, received thousands of interactions and caused confusion among readers unfamiliar with its satirical nature.

These rumors follow a pattern: Musk has been linked to a series of fictional claims about possible purchases of big-name brands, especially since Trump’s election victory. In reality, Musk’s only recent public comments about such acquisitions have been humorous or hypothetical. In a 2022 tweet, he joked that he would “buy McDonald’s and fix all the ice cream machines.” He quickly tempered expectations by adding, “Look, I can’t do miracles, okay.”

“You should just buy them and delete them,” said one X user.

Since then, Musk’s alleged intentions to buy up legacy media outlets, including CNN and Fox News, have become a recurring theme online. Earlier this month, his parody account tweeted: “I’m going to buy CNN, Fox News and all other traditional media and then change their logos to 🤡🤡🤡🤡… Thoughts?” The tweet, seen by many as ironic, was interpreted by some users as a real plan.

Despite Musk’s Parody account’s playful interactions with these rumors, there is no concrete evidence that he is currently planning to acquire McDonald’s, CNN, or other major companies. Social media posts about these acquisitions have been flagged by platforms such as Meta, as part of ongoing efforts to combat misinformation.

As it stands, Musk remains focused on managing Tesla, SpaceX and X (formerly Twitter), with no confirmed new ventures in the media or fast food industries.