Elon Musk’s child proposal to Tiffany Fong — and the events leading up to it

Why did Elon Musk attain out to Tiffany Fong in that manner — and what had been taking place between them online sooner than that message?

A non-public proposal, a public fallout

A brand new controversy sharp Elon Musk emerged on Apr. 16, following a document by the Wall Avenue Journal.

Constant with the document, Musk despatched a non-public message to crypto influencer and journalist Tiffany Fong in November 2024, asking whether she would bag in thoughts having his minute one. At the time the message used to be despatched, the 2 had never met in person.

Fong, 31, has built a colossal following with over 335,000 followers on X and 48,000 subscribers on YouTube. She is legendary for her crypto-targeted stammer and interviews, together with protection of most crucial scandals sharp corporations such as Celsius Network and FTX.

Musk, who owns X and leads Tesla and SpaceX, has beforehand expressed wretchedness about declining world initiating charges. He for the time being has on the least 14 kids with four girls.

The Wall Avenue Journal described Musk’s message as section of a broader sample. Constant with the document, he seeks to bag kids with girls he considers radiant, doubtlessly as section of his prolonged-term notice on sustaining humanity previous Earth.

Fong used to be reportedly caught off guard by the proposal and declined. She confided in just a few finish chums, together with conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair, asserting she most smartly-liked a ragged nuclear family construction.

St. Clair later claimed that she herself had a minute one with Musk. After studying that Fong had disclosed the non-public message, Musk allegedly criticized her for an absence of discretion and unfollowed her on X.

This resolution had an instant affect on Fong’s online visibility and earnings. Throughout the length when Musk interacted with her stammer, she earned over $20,000 in two weeks. Following the unfollow, her engagement dropped, resulting in a marked decline in month-to-month earnings.

Occasions resulting within the controversy

Fong began gaining recognition within the crypto assert by means of her protection of excessive-profile collapses. One amongst her early movies, titled “Celsius Network: I LOST $200,000”, bought just a few thousand views on YouTube and drew early consideration to her channel.

Her profile persevered to develop after she conducted interviews with FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried while he used to be under residence arrest. These conversations, released publicly, further amplified her attain within the community.

Musk’s engagement with Fong’s stammer on X started right by means of this length of rising visibility. In October 2023, Fong posted just a few tense change with Sam Bankman-Fried’s mother, Barbara Fried, outside a courthouse.

Musk spoke back straight, defending Fong and criticizing Fried’s previous academic positions. His answer marked the starting of usual public interactions between the 2, which contributed to Fong’s rising target audience on the platform.

Musk followed her on X in mid-2024 and began frequently participating with her posts. These integrated commentary on crypto trends, political opinions, and pro-Trump stammer. His engagement executed a role in rising her online attain.

The increased visibility translated into earnings as successfully. Between October and November 2024, Fong reported platform earnings of $11,286, $16,727, and $21,252.25 in three successive two-week classes by means of X’s ad earnings-sharing program. She publicly acknowledged the earnings and credited the platform for the toughen.

As her target audience expanded, her stammer took a more political turn. In October 2024, she announced her toughen for Donald Trump within the upcoming election. Musk spoke back to the put up with fire emojis, signaling viewed approval.

In November 2024, Musk despatched her a non-public message on X, asking if she would bag in thoughts having his minute one. After Fong discussed the message with just a few others, Musk reportedly expressed displeasure and unfollowed her.

One month later, in December 2024, Fong changed into the subject of an unrelated controversy when a profile on a prostitution web put aside surfaced the command of her publicly obtainable Instagram photos.

She denied the allegations, citing that the profile used to be false and that she had no connection to the positioning. The claims on the other hand unfold on X, resulting in renewed scrutiny and speculation about her credibility.

Musk unfollowed her on the platform round this time. Some users linked his resolution to the false allegations, while others now advocate it used to be a response to Fong sharing particulars of the non-public message.

Since the document changed into public, Fong has not offered further remarks previous confirming to The Autonomous that she used to be not the provision of the leak and would bag most smartly-liked to keep the topic non-public.

Affect, incentives, and centralized consideration

The response on X to the Musk–Fong episode has targeted much less on famous person habits and more on the nature of visibility in platform-basically based ecosystems formed by non-public interactions.

One put up addressed the imbalance straight, citing that Musk “DMing Tiffany Fong to bag his kid, then cutting her off when she says no” reflects poorly on someone who owns the platform and advantages from public impact.

One more consumer famous that ultimate just a few creators in Fong’s put aside would bag made the identical preference. Proper by means of the crypto assert, where many influencers lean libertarian or correct-leaning, affiliation with Musk mainly correlates with increased visibility and monetization.

One tweet read, “Not moderately just a few girls, particularly influencers within the crypto or correct-hover assert, would’ve said no to having Musk’s kid.”

There used to be also discomfort round Musk’s sample of expressing curiosity in having kids with girls he views as radiant. Whereas his stance on inhabitants decline has been public for years, the non-public nature of his outreach to Fong and others sooner than her has sparked renewed questions.

A separate put up referred to what it described as “his obsession with making more IVF babies,” highlighting how uncommon the sample looks when mixed with dispute messages despatched by means of a platform he controls.

From within the crypto community, the episode also brings a acquainted stress to the flooring. Though the alternate promotes decentralization, most honest creators peaceful depend on centralized platforms where algorithms form engagement and publicity is mainly tied to a handful of influential accounts.

Fong’s skills shows how without wretchedness that machine can shift. Her attain wasn’t impacted by protocol changes or network shifts, it changed when a single chronicle stopped participating. For a assert built on resisting centralized vitality, that continues to be an unresolved contradiction.