Elon Musk is the king of oversharing. We know his favorite memes, his political leanings, and exactly what he thinks of his competitors. But for a long time, there’s been this nagging question: is the @elonmusk handle just the tip of the iceberg?
People love a good mystery. Honestly, the idea of the world's richest man lurking in the comments of his own site under a pseudonym is too juicy to ignore. It turns out, this isn't just a conspiracy theory. Between accidental screenshots and heated legal depositions, we’ve actually gotten a look behind the curtain at the Elon Musk alternate account saga.
It’s weirder than you think.
The Screenshot That Started It All
Back in April 2023, Musk did something very "Musk." He posted a screenshot to show creators how to turn on subscriptions. It was meant to be a "how-to" for making money on X. Instead, it became a forensic crime scene for the internet.
In the top corner of the image, right next to his main profile icon, was a tiny circle. Inside that circle was a photo of a young child holding a toy Starship rocket.
The internet moved fast.
Within minutes, sleuths tracked down the account: @ErmnMusk, also known as "Elon Test." The profile picture was a match. The account had been created in November 2022, right around the time he bought the platform.
The content was... specific. It wasn't just technical testing. The account was role-playing. It posted things like "I will finally turn 3 on May 4th!" (which happens to be the birthday of his son, X Æ A-12). It complained about not having enough followers. It even asked MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor if he liked "Japanese girls."
When someone called him out on it, Musk replied with his main account, saying, "You’d never guess it’s me!" He basically confirmed the burner existed while laughing in our faces.
The Courtroom Confirmation
You might think "Elon Test" was just a one-off joke. But in March 2024, things got legal. Musk sat for a deposition in a libel lawsuit filed by a man named Ben Brody.
Under oath, Musk had to be real.
He admitted to having not one, but two alternate accounts. He described one as a "test account" that he barely used. That’s likely the @ErmnMusk one. The other was more of a side account for regular use.
The court transcript initially mentioned a name that sounded like "baby smoke 9,000." Most researchers, including those at Quartz and The Independent, believe this was a typo for @babysmurf9000.
Unlike the toddler role-play account, @babysmurf9000 feels more like "Unfiltered Elon." It argues with Mark Cuban. It mocks the BBC. It’s followed by big names like Marc Andreessen. It’s the account he uses when he wants to say something spicy without the baggage of his 200-million-follower main profile.
The Adrian Dittmann Mystery
If you spend any time in X Spaces (the live audio chats), you’ve probably heard of Adrian Dittmann. This is where the Elon Musk alternate account conversation gets truly surreal.
Dittmann is a popular user who sounds exactly like Elon Musk. Not "sorta" like him. He has the same South African-meets-Californian accent, the same stuttering pauses, and the same niche vocabulary.
- The Case for it being Elon: A UC Berkeley professor, Hany Farid, actually ran a biometric voice analysis. He found it "improbable" that they were different people. During one Space, Dittmann even accidentally used "I" when talking about one of Musk's personal experiences before quickly correcting himself.
- The Case against: They have appeared in the same audio Space at the same time. Musk’s mother, Maye Musk, even showed up and seemed confused, thinking Dittmann was her son.
A reporter for The Spectator, Jacqueline Sweet, claimed she tracked Dittmann down to a real person in Fiji. Shortly after she published her findings, her X account was restricted and the link was flagged as unsafe. Musk then tweeted, "I am Adrian Dittmann," which most people took as a sarcastic troll.
Is Dittmann a real person who just happens to be a perfect voice twin, or is it Musk using a very sophisticated soundboard? Honestly, at this point, both options are equally believable.
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Why Does a Billionaire Need a Burner?
It feels pathetic to some. Why would the most powerful man on the internet spend his time begging for followers on a secret account?
Basically, it’s about freedom.
When you’re Elon Musk, every tweet is a headline. It moves stocks. It starts international incidents. Having an Elon Musk alternate account lets him engage with the "plebs" without the weight of his reputation.
It’s a digital mask.
He can test how the algorithm treats "normal" users. He can argue with people without them knowing they’re talking to the boss. Or, in the case of the @ErmnMusk account, he can just be a weird dad role-playing as his kid.
Actionable Takeaways for the Curious
If you're trying to spot a celebrity burner or just want to navigate X like a pro, keep these things in mind:
- Check the "Switch Account" area: If a creator ever shares a screenshot of their mobile app, look at the bottom right or top left. That secondary bubble is a dead giveaway.
- Voice doesn't lie, but it can be faked: In the era of AI, a matching voice isn't 100% proof. However, "slips of the tongue"—like using the first person—are much harder to faking.
- Watch the "Followed By" list: Burners almost always follow the person's real-life friends or business partners. Look for accounts followed by high-level VCs or SpaceX engineers that have low follower counts.
- The "Liking" Pattern: Many people forget that their "Likes" are public. Burners often like the main account's tweets within seconds of them being posted to boost engagement.
The hunt for the next Elon Musk alternate account will probably never end because Musk enjoys the game. He likes the "I know that you know" dynamic. Whether it's for technical testing or just pure narcissism, the burners are out there, hiding in plain sight.
Next Steps for You:
- Verify the source: You can actually find the Ben Brody deposition transcripts online if you want to read Musk's admissions in his own words.
- Audit your own privacy: If a billionaire can't keep a secret account hidden, you probably can't either. Check which accounts are linked to your phone number in your X settings.
- Listen for yourself: Search for "Adrian Dittmann Space" on YouTube or X and compare the audio to a Musk interview. The similarity is genuinely unsettling.