FACT CHECK: No, Elon Musk Has Not Said He’s Running For Governor Of California

A viral post shared on Threads claims Tesla CEO and owner of X Elon Musk said he’s running for governor of California.

Verdict: False

Musk has not referenced the claim via his verified X account, and there is no other evidence to support the claim.

Fact Check:

Musk recently became the first person whose net worth has reached $400 billion, according to CNN, which cited Bloomberg. Musk has experienced a surge in wealth following the 2024 presidential election, the outlet reported.

The Threads post, which has garnered over 1,000 likes as of writing, claims Musk said he’s running for governor of California.

“Elon Musk said he might run for governor of California? Make California Great Again,” the post, which does not provide a source to support its claim, reads. The post also features an image of what appears to be Musk with the American Flag and the Flag of California behind him.

The claim is false. Check Your Fact conducted an advanced search of Musk’s verified X profile, @elonmusk, and did not find any reference to the claim.

Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find any credible news reports to support the claim. If Musk had actually announced he was going to run for governor of California, multiple media outlets would’ve reported it, yet none have. In fact, the opposite is true. On December 12, Politifact debunked the claim. (RELATED: No, Elon Musk Did Not Make Post Saying Brian Thompson Had To ‘Maximize Profits’)

California’s primary election for its gubernatorial race is not until June 2026, according to Cal Matters. Toni Atkins, a Democrat who is the outgoing State Senate Leader, is just one of the hopefuls looking to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, who “terms out in 2027,” the outlet reported.

Although Musk has not announced a California gubernatorial bid, he has criticized Newsom for planning to offer a rebate to residents who buy electric vehicles other than Tesla, according to the New York Post. Musk labeled the move as “insane,” the outlet indicated.

Check Your Fact has contacted Musk for comment.