A bizarre conspiracy alleging that Elon Musk uses an alias to praise himself on his own social media network took an unexpected turn when a journalist who refuted the theory was banned from the platform.
Jacqueline Sweet appeared to be barred from using X after publishing an investigation that revealed Adrian Dittmann was a real person living in Fiji, rather than Musk using a pseudonym to praise himself.
Shortly after Sweet’s article, which identified Dittmann as a German entrepreneur, was published in The Spectator World, Musk responded with a predictably cryptic post on X.
‘I’m Adrian Dittmann. “It’s time the world knew,” Musk deadpanned.
His response, of course, fueled the mystery surrounding the superfan.
Meanwhile, Sweet’s managing editor confirmed that the reporter’s account had been suspended for 30 days. Furthermore, links to her Dittmann article have been flagged as containing ‘violent or misleading content.’
For years, Dittmann’s X account has garnered attention for its effusive praise of Musk, fueling speculation that the Tesla CEO was using the account to defend himself and promote his views.
Critics pointed out similarities in writing styles and accents, even claiming Musk used a voice modulator to impersonate Dittmann in live X Spaces chatrooms.
The rumors spread, and other news outlets such as Rolling Stone, Newsweek, and The Verge investigated the theory.
Some claimed to have evidence that linked Musk and Dittmann directly. That was later debunked.
Sweet’s investigation appeared to end the speculation once and for all.
Sweet used social media analysis, AI comparisons, and government video footage to identify Dittmann as a young, blonde German entrepreneur living in Fiji.
His business ventures and personal history, which included participation in a Musk Foundation carbon removal contest, matched the information provided by the Dittmann account.
Despite the detailed reporting that established the facts, Sweet’s X account was promptly restricted, with the platform accusing her of ‘doxxing.’
According to screenshots shared by Spectator World Managing Editor Matt McDonald, Sweet is barred from posting for 30 days, and users attempting to access her article are met with warnings about unsafe content.
The move has sparked a heated debate. Critics of Musk and X accused the platform of suppressing journalism to protect Musk’s reputation.
‘This is a direct assault on press freedom,’ one commentator stated.
Others pointed out the irony of Musk’s previous criticism of Twitter’s handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story during the 2020 election.
Musk supporters, on the other hand, welcomed Sweet’s suspension, claiming that her reporting violated ethical boundaries by revealing personal information about Dittmann.
Musk, who has described himself as a free speech absolutist, has portrayed X as a haven for open dialogue, only to face accusations of using the platform to suppress dissent.
Regardless, the fascination with Dittmann continues. Sweet’s report described him as the son of a German software engineer with a background in business ventures such as a bottled water company and marina.
His social media presence and participation in events such as the Musk Foundation’s $100 million Xprize Carbon Removal Contest lend credibility to Sweet’s findings.
Photos and videos of Dittmann bear a striking resemblance to his AI-generated profile pictures, down to the woman who frequently appears alongside him, which matches artwork posted by his account.
Still, critics point out that Dittmann was not interviewed for the article, leaving some details about his identity unknown.
As Sweet’s suspension continues to garner attention, Musk remains unconcerned, even joking about it on X.
Dittmann made headlines in 2023 when Musk directly acknowledged the similarity in their voices following his appearance on Alex Jones’ controversial InfoWars podcast.
The billionaire tech entrepreneur commented, ‘at some point there’s just going to be like 100 AI clones of me that sound exactly the same.
Speaking late on X’s Spaces last February, the two addressed claims Musk was impersonating Dittmann.
Musk says, ‘Alex Jones thinks it’s me?
Dittmann begins to explain the conspiracy before being interrupted by Musk laughing.
Musk continues, ‘There are eight billion people on the planet. There is probably someone out there who sounds similar to me. And you’re that person.
‘Honestly, I can’t believe you aren’t me,’ he jokes.
‘People believe I’m your clone,’ Dittmann responds. Like one of your Neuralink experiments. Can you confirm that I am not one of your Neuralink experiments? Or perhaps I am and I just don’t realize it.
Musk suggests, ‘Well, the thing is you even ask questions in the way that I would ask questions!’
Dittmann claims he discovered Musk while watching SpaceX videos in 2016, before his partner pointed out the similarities in how they sound.
‘Something is wrong with this world. “Probably like a bug in the simulation,” Dittmann continues.
But he goes on to dismiss the controversy surrounding the comparisons as the’stupidest thing I’ve ever seen’.
Musk inquires about Dittmann’s appearance when a third voice adds, ‘I’ve seen Adrian; he could be your twin!’
Dittmann goes on to praise Musk for his work on X, stating that he uses Spaces ‘practically eight hours a day, three times a week’ before discussing Musk’s family.
The call was prompted by online rumors, which led Dittmann to write on Sunday, ‘You know you’ve made it when there are conspiracy theories about you on the internet.’
Dittmann also supported Musk’s rebranding of the X site, writing, ‘I honestly enjoy the less gimmicky approach of calling posts for what they are as opposed to tweets.’
Dittmann praised Tesla in January, tweeting, ‘It took Boston Dynamics 30 years to achieve what Tesla achieved in one.’
Speculators were most interested in posts that praised X’s direction. Dittmann wrote in February, ‘Anything is possible on the everything app X.’
He previously stated, “X will become the gold standard for social media platforms of the future.”
