A viral phony photo of Elon Musk with a barrel chest aroused health concerns, although the image had been edited. Find out the truth about it.
Elon Musk, the tech billionaire notorious for inciting controversy and debate, recently became the focus of attention for a personal reason: his body. A photoshopped photograph of Musk with an abnormally swollen stomach and chest began spreading online, sparking a frenzy of concern about his health.
On November 10, 2024, a phony photo of Musk with a barrel-shaped chest became viral on X (previously Twitter). The image soon spread, fueling suspicions about Musk’s health and increasing the possibility that he had developed barrel chest. The tweet, sent by a now-defunct account, received millions of views and significant shares.
As the modified image spread, several online users theorized that Musk might have “barrel chest.” This disorder generates an excessively rounded and puffy chest, which is commonly associated with lung difficulties. As the discussion progressed, some worried if Musk’s image suggested an underlying health condition.
Despite the online hysteria, the viral image was not authentic. Fact-checkers and media outlets, including Snopes, validated the image’s alteration. The image was artificially altered from a YouTube video posted in June 2024, in which Musk appears normally. An unknown user then altered the shot to make Musk’s chest and stomach appear abnormally enormous.
Although the changed photograph aroused significant speculation about Musk’s health, the truth is that it was only the result of modification. There was no proof to back up the health worries that spread online.
Musk has stayed fairly mute on the subject, prompting many to question how such a false photo could garner so much attention.
This is not the first time Elon Musk’s appearance has attracted public attention. Musk’s unconventional lifestyle and strange tweets never fail to generate news — but this time, the focus was on a distortion of his anatomy.
