“Elon Musk announces January 20th as the date for bombshell release of Diddy and Epstein client list.”
Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
No, Elon Musk didn’t say ‘Diddy and Epstein client list’ will be released on inauguration day
If Your Time is short
-
This claim originated on a self-described satire page.
Jan. 20, 2025, is presidential Inauguration Day. Some social media posts claim it’s also when entrepreneur Elon Musk, who President-elect Donald Trump has tapped to co-lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, plans to release names connected to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Sean "Diddy" Combs, the music magnate charged with sex trafficking.
"Elon Musk announces January 20th as the date for bombshell release of Diddy and Epstein client list: ‘We expose them all,’" a Nov. 27 Facebook post said.
It was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)
This claim originated on a self-described satire page, although it’s now spreading out of context on social media.
In an original Nov. 18 Facebook post, it’s clearly labeled "satire."
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
We found no evidence Musk said names affiliated with Epstein and Combs would be released on the scheduled date of Trump’s second inauguration.
Musk has publicly called for the release of such lists, and in an October interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Musk said, "If Trump wins, that Epstein client list is gonna become public."
Featured Fact-check
Kash Patel, Trump’s pick for FBI director, has also called for the release of names of people associated with Epstein and Combs.
But claims Musk said such lists will be released Jan. 20 are unfounded.
We rate them False.
Our Sources
Facebook post, Nov. 27, 2024
Facebook post, Nov. 18, 2024
Daily Mail, Elon Musk names the rich Dems 'who are terrified' of Epstein and Diddy files becoming public, Oct. 8, 2024
Newsweek, What Kash Patel Has Said About Releasing Diddy List, Jeffrey Epstein Flight Logs, Dec. 2, 2024
Elon Musk X post, Dec. 1, 2024
Elon Musk X post, July 5, 2024
NBC News, Elon Musk may already be overstaying his welcome in Trump's orbit, Nov. 13, 2024
PolitiFact, No, feds did not arrest a clone of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, Oct. 29, 2024
The New York Times, Epstein Documents Naming Prominent Figures Expected to Be Released Soon, Jan. 2, 2024
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Ciara O'Rourke
No, Elon Musk didn’t say ‘Diddy and Epstein client list’ will be released on inauguration day
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.