Elon Musk – love him or loathe him — is never far from the public eye.

Recently, however, the billionaire’s body became the focus of online chatter after a photo surfaced showing him with an enlarged stomach and chest.

The viral image set off a flurry of speculations, with many wondering if Musk had developed barrel chest, a condition where the chest appears unusually puffed out.

The speculation was rampant — did Musk have an underlying health issue? Was this a sign of something more serious?

Truth behind the viral photo

Elon Musk is a name that often sparks strong opinions and discussions – and recently, it’s not just been about his political views or billions in the bank. No, the latest hot topic has revolved around something much more personal: his body.

The speculation exploded on November 10, when a photo of Musk with an unusually enlarged stomach and chest went viral on X (formerly Twitter).

The image quickly spread and sparked strong reactions, but there was one problem – it wasn’t real. Despite multiple media outlets and fact-checkers confirming that the image was manipulated, it didn’t seem to matter much to many. The tweet, posted by the now-archived account ”evan loves morf,” racked up millions of views and was shared across the platform.

The tweet read, ”He always posts AI pictures of himself because he actually looks like this.” Alongside the image in question, the post also featured an artificial intelligence-generated photo of Musk. The tweet quickly gained traction, racking up more than 17.4 million views and 423,000 likes.

Elon Musk barrel chest?

Hours later, the image was picked up by other accounts on X, sparking discussions about what had happened to Elon Musk’s body and why his chest appeared so pronounced.

Many speculated that Musk might have a condition called ”barrel chest” – a condition where the chest appears rounded or puffed up, resembling a barrel. While not a disease in itself, barrel chest can be a sign of an underlying health issue, often linked to lung conditions.

When the lungs overfill with air, they push out the ribs, chest, and upper back bones, causing the chest to appear larger and more rounded. It can also lead to a more prominent sternum, an elevated collarbone, and shorter neck appearance.

Origin of the fake photo of Elon Musk

In my opinion, all of these speculations were unnecessary, especially since the image in question was clearly manipulated. While some jumped to conclusions about Elon Musk’s health and body, the reality is that the photo was altered.

As Snopes confirmed, the altered photo created a misleading narrative about Musk’s health, sparking a wave of rumors that weren’t grounded in reality.

The origins of the manipulated image can be linked back to a YouTube video posted on June 22, 2024, titled First Look Inside SpaceX’s Starfactory with Elon Musk. Around the 2-minute mark in the video, there’s a photo of Musk, which was later edited to make his chest and stomach appear larger.

An unknown user altered the photo, artificially extending Musk’s chest and stomach to create the misleading image that went viral. While the viral speculation may have caused a stir online, Musk himself has mostly kept quiet on the matter.

But this isn’t the first time the tech mogul’s body — or his lifestyle — has caught people’s attention.

Elon Musk’s viral yacht photos: The Good, the Bad, and the body Shaming

In addition to the fake photo from 2024, Musk made headlines a few years ago when he was photographed on vacation in the Aegean Sea aboard a $20,000-per-week yacht.

The images, which went viral, captured Musk shirtless, sparking a wave of body-shaming and trolling. But Musk wasn’t phased.

In fact, he took it in stride, responding humorously on Twitter: ”Haha damn, maybe I should take off my shirt more often … free the nip!! (already back in the factory btw).”

Eating habits and weight Loss

Elon Musk, 53, has been open about his diet and weight loss journey, admitting that he’s shed over 20 pounds from what he considered an ”unhealthy peak weight.”

He also admitted to using Wegovy, an FDA-approved drug designed for chronic weight management.

Known for his intermittent fasting routine, Musk cycles between periods of fasting and eating, which he says has helped him manage his weight. He’s also confessed to not having the healthiest eating habits.

For instance, Musk famously tweeted, ”I eat a donut every morning. Still alive,” in response to a doctor claiming that sugar is ”poison.” His diet consists mainly of steak, sushi, chocolate, coffee, and caffeine-free Diet Coke, with a distinct aversion to vegetables.

Musk’s body: A topic of constant public discussion

From viral photos to debates about his diet and health, Elon Musk’s body has been a consistent topic of conversation, often overshadowing his immense accomplishments.

Despite the sometimes harsh critiques, Musk seems to take it all with a sense of humor, reminding the public that, like anyone, he’s just living his life — donuts, body speculations, and all.

The online speculation about his health might have been based on a fake image, but one thing is certain: Elon Musk continues to captivate the world with everything he does — even when it comes to what’s on his plate (or not!).

As for his body? It seems that will remain a topic for discussion, no matter the truth.

A heartbreaking tragedy has rocked Climax Springs School District and the community of Missouri after a devastating crash on Friday evening, February 21.

Four people lost their lives in the violent crash, including three recent high school graduates who were on their way home after watching their alma mater’s basketball game.

Slammed into a fence and a tree

Around 8 p.m. on Friday, February 21, a tragic crash took place in western Missouri. A 49-year-old man was driving a 2025 Toyota Corolla south on U.S. Highway 54 when he ran a stop sign and was hit by an eastbound GMC Terrain. The impact was devastating. The 38-year-old man driving the GMC, whose name hasn’t been released, died at the scene.

The three young passengers in the Corolla—Ava Wolfe, Jayden Butterfield, and Violet Corado—also lost their lives. They were all recent graduates of Climax Springs School District. The force of the crash sent the Corolla off the road, slamming into a fence and a tree, according to reports.

This loss has shaken the community, with the district remembering these bright young lives in a heartfelt post on Facebook, according to Kansas City Star.

”Last evening, after attending an away basketball game, three recent Climax Springs graduates were involved in a fatal motor vehicle accident,” school district officials said. Ava and Jayden were both beloved employees of the district, who dedicated their time and talent to our students each day,” the school district wrote and added:

”As students, all of these individuals left a legacy within our school.”

”The District will host counselors for our students and staff on Monday and Tuesday of next week. As the families and our community grieve the loss of lives which held many great things ahead of them, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers,” the post concluded.

Dreamed of becoming an English teacher

Corrado had dreams of becoming a high school English teacher, as mentioned in a senior spotlight posted in May, according to Daily Mail. Just a day before the crash, Wolfe had bought a Ford Bronco, according to a local dealership.

”Just yesterday, Ava was here, filled with joy and excitement as she drove home in her Bronco,” the dealership, Maples Ford, shared. ”To now be facing this heartbreaking loss is truly unimaginable.”

In a Facebook post from February 2022, Ashley Butterfield reflected on watching her daughter play basketball for the last time.

”Watching these girls grow up, do what they love, laughing and cheering each other through tough games and always lifting each other up has come to an end,” she wrote. ”Many basketball camps, summer leagues, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours in practice, after-game meals, and pregame talks… It’s all over. I just blinked and it’s over.”

”Jayden, you are one hell of an athlete and I’m so lucky I’ve been fortunate enough to follow you around all these years,” Ashley posted. ”I would do it all over and over again.”

A fundraising page has also been set up for the girls’ families, and many have already donated. Here’s what the person who started the fundraiser, LaRessa LyVonne Cline, writes:

”These beautiful souls were part of three different families and have left the community devastated. In times like these, there aren’t enough prayers, love or tears that could even touch the hurt or heal the hearts of a small town.”

Four out of the ten were wearing seatbelts

In addition to the fatalities, four passengers inside the SUV — two 16-year-old girls from Osceola, an 18-year-old woman, and a 39-year-old woman — were injured, with injuries ranging from minor to serious. The 38-year-old driver of the Corolla also sustained serious injuries.

Officials also reported that only four out of the ten people involved in the collision were wearing seatbelts.

Such a heartbreaking loss 😞. These young lives taken too soon. May they all rest in peace. My deepest condolences to their families. God bless you all.

In 1997 the world’s first septuplets were born to couple Kenny and Bobbi McCaughey in Iowa, U.S.

The birth of these special babies, who were born 9 weeks prematurely, attracted headlines around the world as the new parents were inundated with invites for interviews.

They ended up appearing on the Oprah Winfrey Show to celebrate their first birthday and each received their own birthday cake. They also got to meet former president Bill Clinton.

The world’s first surviving set of septuplets Kenny Jr., Alexis, Natalie, Kelsey, Nathan, Brandon and Joel kept their parents, who already had a daughter, very busy.

According to Obsev.com the babies required an average of 52 nappies and 42 bottles of milk each day.

The couple did receive a lot of donations to help look after their babies include a 5,500 square foot home, a van, a year’s worth of Kraft’s macaroni and cheese, diapers for the first two years and full college scholarships for any state university in Iowa, as per the Daily Mail.

Their parents still worked hard to do all they could to reduce the cost of caring for 8 children and started growing their own vegetables.

Two of the septuplets, Alexis and Nathan, were diagnosed with cerebral palsy and they required the use of walkers. In 2005 Nathan had back surgery to improve his walking abilities and has since taught himself how to get around without a walker.

They graduated high school and all went on to college: Natalie, Kelsey, Nathan and Joel took up scholarships offered by private Hannibal-LaGrange University in Hannibal in Missouri.

Kenny and Alexis chose to stay closer to home and attended Des Moines Area Community College, and Brandon enlisted in the United States Army.

The siblings who graduated from college this spring say attending college was their first taste of independence.

Kelsey said going away to college has been a growth experience for the siblings because all five are getting a taste of real independence for the first time.

“Growing up, we were always together,” Kelsey told the Herald-Whig.

“Whatever we did, wherever we went, we were always together,” added Kelsey, who majored in public relations and now hopes to get a job in the media.

“I think that being able to come to HLGU gave us our own experience to be independent and to showcase our different talents and be able to dive deep into what we want to learn and what we want our professions to be. We’re not just the seven septuplets. We’re becoming our own people.”

Older sister Mikayla got married in 2015 and the septuplets became aunts and uncles for the first time with the birth of her son. Natalie was the first of the septuplets to get married in May 2019, and four months later brother Brandon also got married.

Natalie now hopes to attend graduate school as an athletic trainer, she told the Today show.

Alexis studied early childhood education and wants to work in an elementary school. She has won many beauty pageants for children with special needs, winning the Teen Miss Dreams Made True pageant in 2013.

Nathan is majoring in computer information systems along with his brother Joel who one day hopes to work for Google in the cyber security division, while Nathan enjoys putting computers together.

“Having six siblings, we’re not only the same age but we’re all best friends,” Natalie told Today. “We’re really thankful for the friendship we have.”

These seven siblings are miracle babies and I’m so happy to see them all winning at life.

Wishing them all the success and happiness whichever path they choose in life. Please share.