Did Elon Musk Really Set His Sights on Acquiring CNN?

In October 2022, Elon Musk made headlines with his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter, later rebranding it as X. Two years later, rumors began to circulate that Musk might have his eyes on a new acquisition: CNN.

An October 20 post on Threads claimed: “Elon Musk reportedly eyeing CNN acquisition: ‘I’ll fix the media, one network at a time.’” This statement quickly gained attention, sparking speculation across social media platforms.

However, the claim was flagged as false news by Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. As part of Meta’s ongoing efforts to combat misinformation, this post was fact-checked. (Learn more about Meta’s partnership to prevent misinformation on its platforms.)

The original post’s claim appears to be based on a satirical news story from October 18. The article, which shares the same headline, is labeled “satire,” distinguishing it from the serious tone of the Threads post. Satire can often be misunderstood when shared without context, leading to the spread of misinformation.

As of now, there is no credible evidence that Elon Musk is planning to acquire CNN. No official news reports or public statements from Musk back this claim, making it clear that this is not an authentic story.

While the idea of Musk acquiring another media giant is intriguing, it remains a rumor based on satire. For now, Musk seems focused on his current ventures, including X, Tesla, SpaceX, and other groundbreaking projects.