FACT CHECK: Facebook Post Makes False Claim About Elon Musk, Imane Khelif

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

A post shared on Facebook claims Elon Musk has purportedly “[decided] to withdraw all support for [World Boxing Organization (WBO) programs] unless Imane Khelif’s medal and $25 million bonus are revoked.”

Verdict: False

Musk has not referenced the claim on his verified X account, @elonmusk, and there is no other evidence supporting the claim.

Fact Check:

Musk said federal workers had a second chance to justify their work or lose their jobs after the original deadline passed on Feb. 24, according to CBS News. In a statement shared on X, Musk said employees who fail to respond a second time will be terminated, the outlet reported.

The Facebook post, which has received over 600 likes as of writing, claims Musk has purportedly “[decided] to withdraw all support for [World Boxing Organization (WBO) programs] unless Imane Khelif’s medal and $25 million bonus are revoked.” The post does not provide a source to support its claim.

The claim is false. Check Your Fact did not find the claim referenced on Musk’s verified X account, @elonmusk. Khelif also does not appear to have publicly commented on the claim. (RELATED: Has Elon Musk Mandated Drug Testing For Federal Employees?)

Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find any credible news reports suggesting Musk had purportedly decided to withdraw his support for WBO programs. In fact, the opposite is true. On Feb. 24, Snopes debunked the claim. According to the outlet, Khelif has won and had titles revoked by the International Boxing Association (IBA), not the WBO.

Snopes also cited an October 2024 statement from the WBO denying it had disqualified Khelif from competing in its events.

“The report[s] claiming that the WBO had banned Khelif are obviously false. We have had no communication with Khelif. We congratulate her and wish her luck in all her future endeavors. Any report stating otherwise is obviously fake and ill intentioned,” the statement reads in part.

Although the claim is false, Musk was named in Khelif’s lawsuit about “online harassment” back in August 2024, according to The Independent.

Check Your Fact has contacted Musk for comment.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

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