A seemingly harmless gesture by Elon Musk at the late Charlie Kirk’s memorial service has sparked heated controversy on social media.
The right-wing conservative, who lost his life in a fatal attack during an event at the University of Utah, was honored on September 21.
In a now-viral clip shared by a user, the poster claimed that Elon appeared to already have “a Neuralink chip” at the event.
Highlights
- A viral video of Elon Musk at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service sparked heated debate online over his unusual body movements.
- Netizens speculated on causes, ranging from neck pain and past spinal surgeries to a possible link with Neuralink.
- Neuralink, Musk’s brain-chip company, develops implants designed to help patients with severe paralysis.
Elon Musk is accused of having a Neuralink chip implanted in his brain after a viral video of him at a memorial service
Image credits: Gage Skidmore/Flickr
The 54-year-old was seen making his way towards the seating section of the memorial service held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The service was attended by over 70,000 people inside the stadium, with thousands more in nearby overflow venues, including the U.S. president.
In the video, Elon briefly stretched his neck in a circular motion before resuming his posture. His eyes appeared strained and squinted shut, and he also placed one hand lightly on his stomach.
The post was captioned by Matt Wallace in all caps, “RUMORS ARE CIRCULATING ABOUT ELON MUSK AFTER THIS VIDEO WAS POSTED.”
Image credits: realdukedenman/X
Matt even commented on the post, expressing his firm belief that Musk had already implanted a Neuralink chip in his brain, citing the gesture seen in the video.
The entrepreneur was attending the funeral service of the fatally shot right-wing conservative Charlie Kirk
Image credits: MAGAVoice/X
“I believe he already has a Neuralink chip.”
The brain chip is one of the groundbreaking inventions by Elon’s company Neuralink, which has advanced brain-computer interfaces (BCIs).
It records and decodes brain activity, enabling new innovations in healthcare, communication, and cognitive abilities.
It is primarily designed to aid individuals with severe paralysis, helping restore personal control over limbs, prosthetics, or communication devices.
In January 2024, Noland Arbaugh was reported to be the first person to receive a Neuralink implant.
However, one user agreed with Wallace’s views, writing that he had always believed Elon to be the “first person” to receive the chip, contrary to mainstream reports.
Elon is the founder of the innovative company Neuralink, which aims to help patients with severe paralysis
“I also believe he has a chip neuralink. I've been saying it for a long time that he was the first human to receive. Which he tested on himself before being allowed to do so on humans.”
As of May 2025, according to the company’s official website, the chip “received Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA to help restore communication for individuals with severe speech impairment.”
The chip was designed by a team of high-profile scientists, neuroscientists, and engineers.
It is a coin-sized device that uses thin, flexible threads equipped with 1,024 electrodes that record the activity of neurons, the nerve cells that send messages throughout the body to perform nearly all human functions.
Image credits: MattWallace888/X
Image credits: MattWallace888
The chip is implanted into the brain using surgical robots to ensure precise placement of the electrodes and is “cosmetically invisible.”
“He has [the chip] too… It is the only thing that explains the amount of multi-tasking, posting gaming and working all side by side… it’s the only thing that made sense!”
The video sparked a heated debate, with netizens trying to explain the cause of Elon’s posture
Image credits: Neuralink/YouTube
Image credits: brodielindrea_
The post garnered thousands of comments, with social media users offering their own explanations for Musk’s posture at the event.
Some argued it was due to “neck pain,” noting that the businessman had undergone three surgeries to fix spinal cord issues in the past year.
One user commented, “He is stretching his neck a bit. If you have neck pain, those movements relieve tension… People get hung up over really weird s**t.”
Another wrote, “He's had neck surgery and lives with chronic neck and back pain… I’ve had the same surgery as him this year and I have to do the same thing.”
Image credits: Michael_McCoyy/X
Image credits: ricksonnpiment
“Elon has autism for those who don’t know. He is socially awkward sometimes and we all notice that…” commented one user.
“He’s autistic. It’s not unheard of to have obscure body language.”
Elon has had three surgeries to address his spinal cord issues and lives with Asperger’s syndrome
Image credits: MattWallace888/X
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While there is no confirmed official autism diagnosis for Musk, during an appearance on Saturday Night Live in May 2021, he publicly acknowledged his condition.
“I'm actually making history tonight as the first person with Asperger's to host SNL.”
She wrote, “That’s DEFINITELY the Ke***ine kicking in. The guys a d**g a**ict. He admitted he was on it and then when he was working for our government briefly he announced that he was clean. Well, he’s back on it.”
Image credits: nicksortor/X
Elon had previously acknowledged using the hallucinogenic substance as a treatment for his depression.
However, President Trump had labelled him a “big-time d**g a**ict” in the days following their online feud earlier this year.
Image credits: nicksortor/X
In an attempt to refute the claims, the Tesla chief executive shared a substance test he took in June, which showed negative results, indicating that he was clean.
“No. He self diagnosed, which is not the same as a doctor diagnosing him,” wrote one suspicious social media user
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