Fact Check: "Elon Musk has a significant social media following."
What We Know
Elon Musk, the owner of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), has a substantial following on the platform, boasting over 200 million followers as of early 2025. His posts during significant events, such as the recent presidential election, garnered over 33 billion views, indicating a high level of engagement with his audience (Forbes). However, despite his large follower count, X has been experiencing a decline in its user base. Reports indicate that the platform lost between 300,000 to 2.6 million daily active users in the U.S. during October 2024 alone, leading to an overall drop of about 8.4% in daily active users (Mashable).
Analysis
While Musk's follower count is indeed significant, the overall health of the platform he oversees is questionable. The decline in daily active users suggests that while Musk may have a large number of followers, many are not actively engaging with the platform. Analysts predict that X could lose up to 7 million monthly active users by 2025 (Mashable). This decline is further compounded by the rise of competing platforms like Threads and Bluesky, which have seen user growth as X's popularity wanes (Forbes).
The credibility of the sources used in this analysis is generally high. Forbes and Mashable are well-established media outlets known for their coverage of technology and social media trends. However, it is important to note that the data on user engagement and traffic comes from digital market intelligence firms like Similarweb, which, while reputable, can sometimes have varying methodologies that may affect the interpretation of user metrics (Forbes).
Conclusion
The claim that "Elon Musk has a significant social media following" is Partially True. While Musk does have a large follower count on X, the platform is facing a significant decline in active users and engagement. This discrepancy suggests that follower numbers alone do not equate to a healthy or thriving social media presence.
