Elon Musk ‘locks reporter from X’ after article sheds light on Tesla owner’s alleged alter ego Adrian Dittman
A bizarre conspiracy claiming Elon Musk is using an alias to tout himself on his own social media network took an unexpected turn when a journalist who debunked the theory was banned from the platform.
Jacqueline Sweet turned out to be limited to
Shortly afterwards, Sweet’s article – about Dittmann as a German entrepreneur – appeared in The spectator worldMusk responded to a predictably cryptic post on X.
‘I’m Adriaan Dittmann. It’s time the world knew,” Musk deadpanned.
Of course, his response only increased the intrigue surrounding the superfan.
Meanwhile, according to Sweet’s editor-in-chief, the reporter’s account was suspended for 30 days. In addition, links to her article about Dittmann come with a warning label stating “violent or misleading content.”
For years, Dittmann’s
Critics pointed out similarities in writing styles and accents, even going so far as to suggest that Musk used a voice modulator to impersonate Dittmann in live X Spaces chat rooms.
A swirling online conspiracy alleging that Elon Musk is using an alias to tout himself on his own social media platform X has now taken a bizarre turn
Shortly after the article went live, Musk responded to X, poking fun at the piece: “I’m Adrian Dittmann. It’s time the world knew.’
Hours later, Adrian Dittman, or the user behind it, posted the same message as Musk
The rumors gained traction in other news outlets, including Rolling Stone, Newsweek and The Verge, which investigated the theory.
Some claimed to have evidence that appeared to directly link Musk and Dittmann. That was all debunked later.
Sweet’s research seemed to put the speculation to rest once and for all.
Using a combination of social media analytics, AI comparisons and government video footage, Sweet identified Dittmann as a young, blonde German entrepreneur living in Fiji.
His business ventures and personal history, including participation in a Musk Foundation carbon removal competition, matched data from the Dittmann account.
Despite the detailed reporting setting the record straight, Sweet’s X account was immediately restricted, with the platform accusing her of ‘doxxing’.
Screenshots shared by Spectator World Editor-in-Chief Matt McDonald showed Sweet banned from posting for 30 days, with users trying to access her article receiving warnings about unsafe content.
The measure has led to fierce discussions. Critics of Musk and X accused the platform of suppressing journalism to protect Musk’s image.
Journalist Jacqueline Sweet’s X account was blocked after she published an investigation debunking claims that Musk was operating under the pseudonym Adrian Dittmann to promote himself
Sweet’s was notified that her X account had been suspended for 30 days for violating rules
The real Adrian Dittmann is pictured at a government event in Fiji last year
Photos and video also show real Dittman with a woman who bears a resemblance to AI artwork that the Dittman
“This is a direct attack on press freedom,” one commentator wrote.
Others highlighted the irony of Musk’s earlier condemnation of Twitter’s suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story during the 2020 election.
However, Musk supporters cheered Sweet’s suspension, arguing that her reporting crossed ethical lines by revealing private information about Dittmann.
Musk, who has described himself as a free speech absolutist, has touted X as a bastion of open dialogue, but is now accused of using the platform to suppress dissent.
Regardless, the fascination with Dittmann continues. Sweet’s report described him as the son of a German software engineer, with a history of business ventures including a bottled water company and a marina.
His social media accounts and participation in events such as the Musk Foundation’s $100 million Xprize Carbon Removal Contest lend credence to Sweet’s findings.
Photos and videos of Dittmann bear a striking resemblance to his AI-generated profile pictures, right down to the woman who regularly appears next to him, matching the artwork posted to his account.
Still, critics note that Dittmann was not interviewed for the article, leaving some details about his identity unconfirmed.
While Sweet’s suspension continues to draw attention, Musk remains characteristically unbothered, even joking about the situation at X.
The pair appeared on Spaces to directly address the claim that Adrian was an alt account of Musk
Dittmann made headlines in 2023 when Musk directly acknowledged the similarity in their voices after the former appeared on Alex Jones’ controversial InfoWars podcast.
The billionaire tech entrepreneur noted, “At some point there will be a hundred AI clones of me that sound exactly the same.”
Speaking too late about X Spaces Last February, the two spoke while directly addressing claims that Musk was impersonating Dittmann.
Musk says: ‘Alex Jones thinks it’s me?’
Dittmann begins to explain the conspiracy before being interrupted by Musk’s laughter.
Musk continues: ‘There are eight billion people on Earth. Chances are there is someone out there who looks like me. And you are that person.”
“Honestly, I don’t think you’re not me,” he jokes.
“People think I’m legitimately your clone,” Dittmann replies. “Like one of your Neuralink experiments. Can you clarify that I am not one of your Neuralink experiments? Or maybe I am and I just wouldn’t realize it?’
Musk suggests, “Well, the point is, even ask questions the way I would ask questions!”
Dittmann says he discovered Musk in 2016 while watching SpaceX videos, before his partner pointed out the similarities in how they sound.
‘Something isn’t quite right in this world. Probably as a bug in the simulation,” Dittmann continues.
But he goes on to brush off the furor surrounding the comparisons since then as the “dumbest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Musk asks what Dittmann looks like when a third voice comes in: “I’ve seen Adrian: he could be your twin brother!”
Dittmann later praises Musk for his work on X, saying he uses Spaces “practically eight hours a day, three times a week” before talking about Musk’s family.
The call was prompted by the online rumors, which prompted Dittmann to write on Sunday: “You know you’ve made it when there are conspiracy theories about you on the Internet.”
Dittmann also showed support for Musk’s rebranding of the
Last January, Dittmann praised Tesla’s tweet: “It took Boston Dynamics 30 years to achieve what Tesla achieved in one year.”
Of greatest interest to speculators were the reports praising X’s outward direction. Last February, Dittmann wrote: ‘Everything is possible on the everything app X.’
He previously wrote: “X will be the gold standard for social media platforms of the future.”
DailyMail.com has contacted X for comment.