An image shared on Facebook allegedly shows a tweet from Tesla CEO Elon Musk saying that he intends to pay Infowars founder Alex Jones’ legal damages. 

Verdict: False

There is no evidence of this tweet on Musk’s verified Twitter account or any credible news reports to verify his making such an offer.

Fact Check: 

Jurors ordered Jones Oct. 12 to pay $965 million to the families of victims in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting for spreading the theory that the tragedy was a “false flag,” according to The Associated Press. The ruling comes after a Texas jury in August 2022 awarded $50 million to the parents of another child that had died in the shooting, the outlet reported.

A Facebook image allegedly shows a screenshot of Elon Musk offering to pay for Alex Jones’ legal damages. “I intend to pay Alex Jones’ legal damages. What is the point of wealth if you don’t fight for your values?” the image’s text reads. “Austin is going to be the new home for free speech.”

The image was also posted to Twitter where it has accrued over 2,200 retweets. (RELATED: Is Elon Musk Working With The U.S. Military To Provide Ukraine A New Hypersonic Jet?)

🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/woyDb982E9

— Michael Malice (@michaelmalice) October 12, 2022

This screenshot is digitally fabricated. The date on the purported tweet shows Oct. 12, 2023, which is a year from the date of the verdict. The alleged tweet does not appear through a search of Musk’s verified Twitter account or archived screenshots of his page. Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to corroborate the claim. 

Check Your Fact has contacted Tesla for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received. 

Jones’ company, Free Speech Systems LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July, which would prevent any payments to the families until the reorganization is complete, according to Vox. The protection only covers the company and does not shield Jones from personal judgements filed against him, the outlet reported.

This is not the first time Musk has been the subject of misinformation regarding his Twitter behavior. Check Your Fact previously debunked a claim from July 2022 that claimed the Tesla CEO had been banned from the microblogging site.