Elon Musk's secret alt?

+ AI horrorcore, bed nesting, blood letting, Google Maps nostalgia, and what Gen Z got for Christmas

Dec 30, 2024

Over the weekend, a Twitter Space hosted by right-wing influencer Laura Loomer devolved into chaos when an account named “Adrian Dittmann” joined the discussion. The user, who spoke with an eerily familiar voice, relentlessly defended Elon Musk.

Immediately people began speculating that the “Adrian Dittmann” account was actually just Elon. The account spoke like him, posted like him, and suspiciously talked about Musk in the first person at one point. This isn’t the first time Musk has been accused of using burner accounts. Earlier this year, it was revealed that he had been running another secret account where he role played as his toddler son and engaged with his own posts. People have also been posting theories about Musk’s involvement with “Adrian Dittmann” for nearly a year.

On Sunday, both Musk and “Adrian” joined a voice chat on X to have a discussion with each other, but the conversation was stilted and didn’t put many people’s suspicions to rest. Elon’s trans daughter Vivian apparently also once posted on Threads claiming that Dittmann really is Musk’s alt.

Right wing influencer and notorious troll Charles Johnson also claims to have uncovered “proof” that Dittmann is Musk.

He writes in his Substack article: "I recently attended a Twitter Space where I exposed Elon Musk’s alt account and Elon Musk as a fraud to his face. Take a listen. It was pretty great. Part of the reason I was as aggressive as I was with Adrian/Elon was to get him agitated so he would speak faster than his voice modulator could work and we could make a positive match using software some friends of mine use for this sort of thing. I can confirm it’s Elon. Even if it isn’t physically Elon in the flesh, it’s an account controlled and operated by Elon/X that represents him in every way shape and form. But of course, it’s actually Elon.”

But again, I just feel compelled to reiterate that Charles Johnson is a troll with an atrocious track record on accuracy.

Though Musk is obviously a thin-skinned weirdo who has a history of operating burner accounts, I do think in this case “Adrian” is likely entirely separate person simply leaning into the controversy to get followers and attention. The account has gained tens of thousands of followers in recent days according to Social Blade. And, the account is verified and eligible for X’s monetization program, meaning the account holder is able to make money based on engagement.

But like many Twitter users, I’m not sure what’s worse, Musk actually operating this weird alt account for years to praise and defend himself, or a sad rando posting a steady stream of deeply parasocial content defending a billionaire.

What I’m reading

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The right-wing takeover of Florida’s public honors college blurs the line between tragedy and farce, but attacks on universities are about to get worse. - In These Times

Tradwives, incels and cat ladies: The year MAGA broke heterosexuality

Republicans idealize "traditional" marriage, but their actions make the straight life a bad prospect. - Salon

What AI Teaches Us About Good Writing

While AI can speed up the writing process, it doesn’t optimize quality — and it endangers our sense of connection to ourselves and others. - Noema

Reporting on hate and extremism: attacks are personal, so is the cause

"Journalists like myself have a choice: surrender to the fascist mob that wants to intimidate the truth-tellers – or rededicate ourselves to doing what’s right no matter the cost." - Phil Williams

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