On September 5th, Chinese social media platforms circulated news that Tesla founder Elon Musk had spent $150 million to purchase a penthouse located at No.8 Xiaoyun Road in Beijing, and the transaction had been completed. A salesperson confirmed the purchase, but Tesla responded by calling it fake news.
Multiple real estate agents in Beijing posted videos on social media claiming that Musk had bought the penthouse in Beijing for $150 million at No.8 Xiaoyun Road.
On the morning of September 5th, the “Blue Whale News” reporter contacted several real estate agents responsible for selling properties in the area, and one of the salespersons confirmed that Musk had indeed bought the top floor penthouse in the neighborhood.
Another real estate agent further explained, “The penthouse Musk bought was advertised for $150 million, equivalent to about 1.06 billion yuan, but the actual transaction price was around 650 million yuan. Inflating the promotional price was to create market buzz.”
The reporter then called the sales office at No.8 Xiaoyun Road in Beijing to verify the circulating information, but the sales office responded that they could not disclose information about the owner publicly.
When “Sina Technology” inquired at the sales office of No.8 Xiaoyun Road, a salesperson confirmed that Musk’s property purchase was true.
Subsequently, Chinese media outlets such as “Sina Technology” sought confirmation from Tesla, to which Tesla responded, “Fake news, pure hype, there’s no bottom line to this hype.”
After Tesla debunked the rumors, it sparked further discussions among Chinese netizens.
Renowned Weibo influencer “SUV Encyclopedia” wrote, “#RealEstateAgentClaimsMuskBoughtHouseInBeijing for $150 million is still a hot topic, but before it heats up, Tesla has already debunked it. #TeslaDebunksMuskBeijingPropertyPurchase. This might be another marketing tactic to attract wealthy individuals to become Musk’s neighbors.”
Professional investor and Weibo influencer “Lin God Marquis” joked, “Laughing out loud, in this day and age, real estate agents are really going all out to sell houses.”
Financial blogger and Weibo influencer “Focus on Growing Stocks” commented, “These real estate agents are willing to say anything to sell a house, huh? The real estate industry has reached its current state, and no one is innocent in this snowstorm.”
Video blogger and Weibo influencer “Cool Guy” remarked, “Seems like the real estate market isn’t doing well now, with real estate agents spreading rumors about Musk buying a house in Beijing.”
Financial blogger and Weibo influencer “Wen Lixiong” questioned, “Are they still spreading fake news to hype up property sales now? Who would buy a house that keeps plummeting in value?”
Weibo influencer “Cars Power” expressed, “This might be the harshest criticism Musk has faced. Those who make decisions like this at this time probably won’t become the world’s richest.”