FACT CHECK: No, Elon Musk Did Not Make Post Saying Brian Thompson Had To ‘Maximize Profits’

An image shared on X allegedly shows a post from X owner Elon Musk criticizing the public’s reaction to the suspected shooter of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. 

“No matter how ruthlessly” pic.twitter.com/dc8vJOk2Sk

— Eric BiggZ 🌈💣 (@Eric_Biggz) December 9, 2024

Verdict: False

No such post can be found on Musk’s account.

Fact Check: 

The suspected Thompson shooter, Luigi Mangione, was arrested on Monday in a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania, according to AP News. Mangione previously wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive health care system in the world and went into the courthouse shouting, the outlet reported.

An X post purportedly shows a Musk post denouncing Mangione, including an image of the man smiling. The screenshot of the post shows it purportedly gained over 3 million views.

The alleged post reads, “It’s disgusting how everyone is turning this guy into some kind of folk hero. Insurance companies, like any company, have a duty to shareholders to maximize profits, no matter how ruthlessly. The radical left espousing otherwise needs to grow the hell up.”

The post’s caption simply reads, “‘No matter how ruthlessly.’”

This is not a genuine post from Musk, however. It cannot be found via a search of his X account. The image’s timestamp—Dec. 7, 2024 at 5:23 a.m. EST—matches up with a different post from Musk, so it is likely this has been photoshopped to show the fabricated post involving Mangione. (RELATED: Did Elon Musk Defend CEOs After Murder Of Brian Thompson?)

Power must return to the people.

Rule of democracy, not rule of bureaucracy! https://t.co/NKGCpvIc9n

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 7, 2024

Mangione praised Musk’s “commitment to long-term civilization success” on social media, The Independent reported. He also drew a connection between success in Silicon Valley and Asperger’s, according to the outlet.

Check Your Fact reached out to an X spokesperson for comment.