Is Elon Musk buying Fortnite? Bizarre Epic Games buyout rumor explained

Nathan Warby
Is Elon Musk buying Fortnite?

Rumors are swirling once again that Tesla CEO Elon Musk is buying Fortnite, but is there any truth in them, and why did the speculation start? We break it all down below.

Fortnite is undoubtedly one of the biggest games on the planet right now, with millions of players dropping in each and every week to try and claim a Victory Royale. After a bit of a lull, Chapter 3 has breathed life back into the game, bringing in high-profile crossovers such as the Dragon Ball Super anime, and Captain Marvel star Brie Larson is reportedly set to arrive soon.

With a popularity that reaches far beyond the realm of gaming, it’s no surprise that Fortnite sometimes catches the attention of some of the biggest names on the planet. But one of the most bizarre rumors is that SpaceX founder Elon Musk is purchasing the battle royale.

So, is Elon Musk buying Fortnite? Keep reading and we’ll explain all.

Is Elon Musk buying Fortnite?

At the time of writing, no, Elon Musk is not purchasing Fortnite or Epic Games as a whole. The billionaire hasn’t publicly announced any plans to make an offer for the company and take control of Fornite.

Instead, ‘Elon Musk buys’ is an internet meme that has resurfaced largely due to Musk’s public intention to buy Twitter earlier in 2022. Following the news, a number of posts went viral joking that Musk was buying everything from the moon to country music.

The man himself even joined in on the fun on August 17, hilariously claiming that he was going to buy Manchester United Football Club. All this being said, rumors of Elon Musk buying Fortnite, specifically, have much older origins.

Elon Musk buys Fortnite trend explained

The Elon Musk buys Fortnite trend can be traced back to a tweet from 2018, where Musk referenced a fake article entitled: “Elon Musk buys Fortnite and deletes it.” The piece also features a joke quote from Musk claiming “I had to save these kids from eternal virginity.”

The headline and quote were clearly a parody, and Musk got in on the act by responding: “Had to be done ur welcome.”

This nearly four-year-old tweet has had quite the impact, and players out of the loop regularly wonder if the tech mogul is actually looking to purchase Fortnite or Epic Games. This is why you’ll see the question spike on trends from time to time.

Luckily, as far as we know, Fortnite is safe and Elon Musk has no intention of buying it and deleting it.


For more on Fortnite, be sure to check out how to get the Teen Titans Starfire skin, and how to play the game on iPhone and iOS.

Image credits: Epic Games / Debbie Rowe, Wiki Commons