FACT CHECK: Was Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla Arrested?
A post shared on social media purportedly shows an article that claims the Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla was arrested by the U.S. Military.
View this post on Instagram
Verdict: False
The claim is inaccurate. Bourla has not been arrested.
Fact Check:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently granted approval to Pfizer for a blood cancer therapy. Reuters reports that the new therapy Elrexfio can be used in patients with multiple myeloma.
The Instagram post claims that Bourla was arrested. The post shows a part of the article that claims that the U.S. Marines conducted an operation earlier this week that resulted in the death of two of Bourla’s bodyguards. The article goes on to say that the U.S. Special Forces arrested the Moderna CEO Stephen Bancel earlier as well.
The caption reads, “I thought we told y’all we won’t stop!! Judgement!!”
The claim is false. There is no credible news report that suggests Bourla was arrested. The article says that it is from the news outlet Real Raw News. This website is a parody site. The ‘about’ section of the website shares a disclaimer that reads, “This website contains humor, parody, and satire.”
This article claimed that Bourla was arrested on Monday morning Aug. 7, However, Bourla tweeted a photo that morning, mentoring a college sophomore.
What a wonderful experience it has been to mentor Jenkins Darbney, a 2023 Jeff Ubben Posse Fellow from the @possefoundation! This great program pairs outstanding college sophomores who have demonstrated academic excellence with summer internship opportunities in different… pic.twitter.com/pnWZYt8EJ9
— Albert Bourla (@AlbertBourla) August 7, 2023
Bourla wrote, “What a wonderful experience it has been to mentor Jenkins Darbney, a 2023 Jeff Ubben Posse Fellow from the @possefoundation!.” (RELATED: Did Illinois Pass A Bill Allowing Illegal Immigrants To Apply For The Police Force?)
This is not the first time misinformation has been shared online. Check Your Fact debunked a claim that Belarus arrested the Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.
