Elon Musk Admits Being 'Incorrect' on Wild Claim

Musk Admits Mistake on Gaza Condoms Claim

Elon Musk acknowledged on Tuesday, February 11, that he was mistaken in claiming the U.S. government had allocated $50 million dollars to send condoms to Gaza. When questioned by a reporter in the Oval Office while standing to President Donald Trump's right, Musk admitted that the funding was actually directed to Mozambique as part of an HIV prevention initiative. 
The reporter pressed Musk on how he ensures accuracy in his statements, particularly when using his platform on X, where he had previously spread the misleading claim. In response, Musk conceded that not everything he says will always be correct and that he is open to correcting errors when necessary.
Here's how the revealing White House Q&A unfolded. 
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Musk Questions U.S. Spending Priorities

Although Musk walked back his incorrect statement about condoms being sent to Gaza, he still expressed skepticism about the U.S. government's decision to fund condom distribution abroad. 
"I'm not sure we should be sending $50 million worth of condoms to anywhere, frankly," Musk remarked, questioning whether such expenditures align with American taxpayers' interests. 
He continued by pointing out that the sheer volume of condoms suggested by the figure seemed excessive, adding that even though Mozambique, not Gaza, received the aid he still found the spending questionable.

Fact-Checkers Debunk Musk's Figures

Following Musk's claim, fact-checkers from USA Today and other outlets investigated the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) actual spending on condoms. Their findings contradicted Musk's assertion, showing that in 2023, USAID allocated $61 million dollars for contraceptives globally, but only $8 million dollars of that was spent on condoms. 
The reports further clarified that no U.S. funding went toward sending condoms to Gaza. Over seven years, from 2016 to 2022, the agency spent an average of $17 million dollars annually on condoms for 60 different countries — far less than the $50 million dollar figure Musk initially cited.

Musk's Influence and the Spread of Misinformation

Musk's mistake highlights the challenges of misinformation spreading quickly through social media, particularly when amplified by influential figures. His claim, despite being debunked, gained traction among his millions of followers on X. 
While Musk admitted his error, experts continue to stress the importance of verifying claims before broadcasting them to a global audience. Others were more "weirded out" by the world's richest man "holding court" and leading an Oval Office conversation. 
"Where have you ever seen basically a Cabinet member stand over a sitting president and tell it like is? What is going on??? Lol," an X commenter asked.