Latest news with #Musk-owned
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fact Check: No proof Musk solved 'unsolvable' math problem at Harvard
Claim: Elon Musk solved an 'unsolvable' math problem after a Harvard professor called him 'rich but dumb.' Rating: In May 2025, a claim (archived) circulated online that the tech entrepreneur and former Trump adviser Elon Musk solved an "unsolvable" math problem after a Harvard professor called him "rich but dumb." A Harvard Professor Mocked Elon Musk as 'Rich But Dumb'—Then Musk Solved an 'Unsolveable' Math Problem in 2 MINUTES! 😱 The Crowd Went SILENT! Dr. Edward Kline, a 62-year-old calculus professor at Stanford with a reputation for his rigorous teaching style, was among the skeptics. "Mr. Musk, you may have billions, but intelligence isn't something you can buy. I doubt you could solve a basic Harvard problem that my students struggle with." Kline handed Musk a whiteboard marker with a smirk, saying, "Let's see if you can handle this in under 10 minutes. I'll be impressed if you even get halfway." What happened next left the room in stunned silence.... The claim circulated mostly on (archived) Facebook (archived) and X (archived), accompanied by two images that claimed to show the moment Musk triumphantly solved the math problem. Some self-described fictional YouTube (archived) videos (archived) presented a similar narrative around May 2025. However, we found no proof that the alleged encounter at Harvard University actually happened. Searches on online search engines brought up no credible reports about the event (archived) (archived) (archived). One of the images that accompanied the claim featured a logo for Grok, an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by the Musk-owned company xAI. Online detectors rated the other image highly likely to have been generated by AI. Furthermore, we found no trace of "Dr. Edward Kline," allegedly a Stanford University mathematics professor. Therefore, we rate this claim false. The claim circulated since at least May 23, 2025, alongside two images. These images carried several clues that the claim was false. Firstly, one of the images was generated by AI, as evidenced by the Grok logo in the bottom-right corner. Additionally, the Grok image poorly resembled Musk, as evidenced by recent authentic photos. (Grok/Snopes Illustration) The other image featured alongside the story did not carry a visible sign it was generated by AI. However, online detectors SightEngine and Hive Moderation said the image was highly likely to be AI-generated. Hive Moderation said Grok likely created the image. (Sightengine/Hive Moderation/Snopes Illustration) In addition to the AI-generated images, aspects of the claim text also contained inconsistencies. For example, the text said "A Harvard Professor Mocked Elon Musk" but then identified the professor as "Dr. Edward Kline, a 62-year-old calculus professor at Stanford." There was also no trace of a Dr. Edward Kline at either Stanford or Harvard universities. A broader online search found multiple Dr. Edward Klines but none who taught mathematics at either Stanford or Harvard. Despite the above, the claim might include one grain of truth: A Harvard professor did warn Elon Musk about a problem he "will never solve" in 2024. However, the problem wasn't (entirely) mathematical. Jason Furman, an economist and Harvard economics professor, said Musk could not cut $2 trillion from the U.S. budget "on his own" — the original goal set for Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. The "professor mocked Elon Musk" story is also reminiscent of an urban legend long told about Albert Einstein in which, as a college student, the future theoretical physicist humiliated an atheist professor by demonstrating that God can co-exist with evil. An "unsolvable math problem" tale that turned out to be true involves a college student mistaking examples of unsolved statistics problems for a homework assignment, took them home and solved them. Snopes has investigated a plethora of rumors about Elon Musk including whether he remotely shut down Tesla cars owned by Democrats or whether Starlink, his satellite internet service provider, can't operate in South Africa because Musk isn't Black. 6,091 Elon Musk Photos & High Res Pictures - Getty Images. Accessed 30 May 2025. "AI Image Detector. Detect AI-Generated Media at Scale." Sightengine, Accessed 30 May 2025. "Dr. Edward Kline, 81, Retired Official of G.E." New York Times, 2 Apr. 1990, Economist Warns Elon Musk Will Never Solve This One Problem on His Own. 22 May 2025, "Elon Musk Harvard Professor Unsolvable Problem." Bing, Accessed 30 May 2025. Elon Musk Harvard Professor Unsolvable Problem - Yahoo Search Results. Accessed 30 May 2025. Elon Musk Harvard Professor Unsolvable Problem at DuckDuckGo. Accessed 30 May 2025. Google Search. Accessed 30 May 2025. Hive Moderation. Accessed 30 May 2025. Inc, Kaniewski Funeral Homes. "Obituary for Dr. Edward Alton (Ed) Kline." Obituary for Dr. Edward Alton (Ed) Kline, Accessed 30 May 2025. People Directory: Stanford Who. Accessed 30 May 2025. Scholastic Volume 115, No.4 . 7 Nov. 1973, University, Harvard. "Search." Harvard University, Accessed 30 May 2025.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Fact Check: No proof Musk solved 'unsolvable' math problem at Harvard
Claim: Elon Musk solved an 'unsolvable' math problem after a Harvard professor called him 'rich but dumb.' Rating: In May 2025, a claim (archived) circulated online that the tech entrepreneur and former Trump adviser Elon Musk solved an "unsolvable" math problem after a Harvard professor called him "rich but dumb." A Harvard Professor Mocked Elon Musk as 'Rich But Dumb'—Then Musk Solved an 'Unsolveable' Math Problem in 2 MINUTES! 😱 The Crowd Went SILENT! Dr. Edward Kline, a 62-year-old calculus professor at Stanford with a reputation for his rigorous teaching style, was among the skeptics. "Mr. Musk, you may have billions, but intelligence isn't something you can buy. I doubt you could solve a basic Harvard problem that my students struggle with." Kline handed Musk a whiteboard marker with a smirk, saying, "Let's see if you can handle this in under 10 minutes. I'll be impressed if you even get halfway." What happened next left the room in stunned silence.... The claim circulated mostly on (archived) Facebook (archived) and X (archived), accompanied by two images that claimed to show the moment Musk triumphantly solved the math problem. Some self-described fictional YouTube (archived) videos (archived) presented a similar narrative around May 2025. However, we found no proof that the alleged encounter at Harvard University actually happened. Searches on online search engines brought up no credible reports about the event (archived) (archived) (archived). One of the images that accompanied the claim featured a logo for Grok, an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by the Musk-owned company xAI. Online detectors rated the other image highly likely to have been generated by AI. Furthermore, we found no trace of "Dr. Edward Kline," allegedly a Stanford University mathematics professor. Therefore, we rate this claim false. The claim circulated since at least May 23, 2025, alongside two images. These images carried several clues that the claim was false. Firstly, one of the images was generated by AI, as evidenced by the Grok logo in the bottom-right corner. Additionally, the Grok image poorly resembled Musk, as evidenced by recent authentic photos. (Grok/Snopes Illustration) The other image featured alongside the story did not carry a visible sign it was generated by AI. However, online detectors SightEngine and Hive Moderation said the image was highly likely to be AI-generated. Hive Moderation said Grok likely created the image. (Sightengine/Hive Moderation/Snopes Illustration) In addition to the AI-generated images, aspects of the claim text also contained inconsistencies. For example, the text said "A Harvard Professor Mocked Elon Musk" but then identified the professor as "Dr. Edward Kline, a 62-year-old calculus professor at Stanford." There was also no trace of a Dr. Edward Kline at either Stanford or Harvard universities. A broader online search found multiple Dr. Edward Klines but none who taught mathematics at either Stanford or Harvard. Despite the above, the claim might include one grain of truth: A Harvard professor did warn Elon Musk about a problem he "will never solve" in 2024. However, the problem wasn't (entirely) mathematical. Jason Furman, an economist and Harvard economics professor, said Musk could not cut $2 trillion from the U.S. budget "on his own" — the original goal set for Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. The "professor mocked Elon Musk" story is also reminiscent of an urban legend long told about Albert Einstein in which, as a college student, the future theoretical physicist humiliated an atheist professor by demonstrating that God can co-exist with evil. An "unsolvable math problem" tale that turned out to be true involves a college student mistaking examples of unsolved statistics problems for a homework assignment, took them home and solved them. Snopes has investigated a plethora of rumors about Elon Musk including whether he remotely shut down Tesla cars owned by Democrats or whether Starlink, his satellite internet service provider, can't operate in South Africa because Musk isn't Black. 6,091 Elon Musk Photos & High Res Pictures - Getty Images. Accessed 30 May 2025. "AI Image Detector. Detect AI-Generated Media at Scale." Sightengine, Accessed 30 May 2025. "Dr. Edward Kline, 81, Retired Official of G.E." New York Times, 2 Apr. 1990, Economist Warns Elon Musk Will Never Solve This One Problem on His Own. 22 May 2025, "Elon Musk Harvard Professor Unsolvable Problem." Bing, Accessed 30 May 2025. Elon Musk Harvard Professor Unsolvable Problem - Yahoo Search Results. Accessed 30 May 2025. Elon Musk Harvard Professor Unsolvable Problem at DuckDuckGo. Accessed 30 May 2025. Google Search. Accessed 30 May 2025. Hive Moderation. Accessed 30 May 2025. Inc, Kaniewski Funeral Homes. "Obituary for Dr. Edward Alton (Ed) Kline." Obituary for Dr. Edward Alton (Ed) Kline, Accessed 30 May 2025. People Directory: Stanford Who. Accessed 30 May 2025. Scholastic Volume 115, No.4 . 7 Nov. 1973, University, Harvard. "Search." Harvard University, Accessed 30 May 2025.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Elon Musk's Top Goon Exits DOGE Along With Stephen Miller's Wife
Elon Musk's right-hand man is the latest headed out the door in a DOGE exodus that includes the billionaire himself and Stephen Miller's wife. Steve Davis' exit follows Musk's announcement on Wednesday that his time is up at DOGE, where he launched a sweeping and chaotic four-month campaign to slash government waste. Just hours earlier, CNN reported Katie Miller, who is married to President Donald Trump's deputy chief of staff, was also out, with sources saying she will now work 'full time'for Musk and has been helping to arrange media appearances separate to his government work. A top leader at DOGE, Davis managed daily operations such as hirings and firings and actioning Musk's directives on cost-cutting targets at various agencies, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news. Several other top DOGE officials will also reportedly depart, including James Burnham and Brad Smith. News of Davis' departure surprised some department staffers, who said he had been engaged in his work as recently as Wednesday, WSJ reported. The White House did not immediately return the Daily Beast's request for comment on Davis' exit. The exodus has fueled rumors of friction between Musk and Trumpworld, especially after the Tesla founder bashed Trump's signature spending bill. Stephen Miller was among the Trump officials who publicly hit back this week. Davis, an engineer, is a decades-long Musk loyalist who has worked for the businessman at his various companies, including SpaceX and the social media platform X. Davis has led the Musk-owned Boring Company since 2018. The New York Times reported earlier this year that Musk, during a transition meeting ahead of Trump's inauguration, described Davis as 'like chemo,' telling attendees, 'a little chemo can save your life; a lot of chemo could kill you.' In his Wednesday announcement, Musk said his scheduled time as a 'special government employee' was reaching its end, and thanked Trump for 'the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending.' The 'special government employee' designation allows nongovernment workers to serve in federal roles for up to 130 days. For Musk, his window closes on Friday. The world's richest man had shared his intention last month to step back from government to focus on his businesses, which faced brand damage and tumbling sales while Musk courted controversy and headlines by Trump's side. Musk told Ars Technica on Tuesday he 'probably did spend a bit too much time on politics.' 'It's not like I left the companies. It was just relative time allocation that probably was a little too high on the government side, and I've reduced that significantly in recent weeks,' he said. Musk set an initial savings goal for DOGE of $2 trillion in cuts, but conceded in January it was unrealistic. The department estimates it has found $175 billion in savings, but analysts have questioned if the numbers add up.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
One of the 'most-controversial' messaging app gets $300 million from Elon Musk: Here's what the deal is all about
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Telegram CEO Pavel Durov announced a partnership with Elon Musk 's AI company xAI to bring the AI chatbot Grok to its more than 1 billion users. Durov announced the deal on X (formerly Twitter), saying the integration will happen this summer. 'This summer, Telegram users will get access to the best AI technology on the market,' Durov wrote. '@elonmusk and I have agreed to a 1-year partnership to bring xAI's @grok to our billion+ users and integrate it across all Telegram apps,' he added. Telegram to get $300 million from Musk-owned xAI As part of the one-year partnership, Telegram will receive $300 million in cash and shares from xAI, Durov revealed. The messaging app will also get half of the money made from Grok subscriptions sold through Telegram. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trending in in 2025: Local network access control [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo Durov said the deal will help Telegram's finances and create new ways to earn revenue. 'Together, we win,' he added. This move will allow Telegram users to use Grok's AI features directly within the app. The partnership comes as xAI looks to expand Grok beyond Musk's social media platform X, aiming to reach more users and grow its business. When a user asked 'Will any telegram data be provided for training as a part of the deal?', Pavel replied saying 'No, this has not been discussed.' Here's what Telegram CEO Pavel Durov wrote In the X post, Durov wrote: 'This summer, Telegram users will gain access to the best AI technology on the market. @elonmusk and I have agreed to a 1-year partnership to bring xAI's @grok to our billion+ users and integrate it across all Telegram apps. This also strengthens Telegram's financial position: we will receive $300M in cash and equity from xAI, plus 50% of the revenue from xAI subscriptions sold via Telegram. Together, we win.' This call will steal your money: "Family Scam" working & how to protect yourself! AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Elon Musk is retreating from politics just as his corporate empire stumbles
A version of this story appeared in CNN Business' Nightcap newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. Elon Musk says he is back to 'spending 24/7 at work' and sleeping in conference rooms — seemingly diving head-first back into corporate life after five months of oligarch larping in Washington. That kind of performative overwork often comes across these days as eye-roll-worthy — another tech entrepreneur peacocking their devotion to The Grind. Musk is a longtime pusher of such 'extremely hardcore' work cultures. But given the scale and severity of the problems hitting Musk's business empire all at once, an all-out effort may be appropriate. Tesla sales are tanking. The Cybertruck is shaping up to be a flop for the ages. The social media site X needs 'major operational improvements,' according to Musk, after a widespread outage over the weekend, which came less than two weeks after xAI's Grok briefly morphed into a conspiracy theorist that wouldn't shut up about 'White genocide.' The last two SpaceX launches ended with the multibillion-dollar spacecraft blowing up in midair. (The latest launch is happening Tuesday night, around Nightcap's publish time, so check here for the latest.) Investors appear relieved that Musk is refocusing on his day job(s). Shares of Tesla — the only publicly traded Musk-owned enterprise — have shot up 25% in the past month (though they are still in a hole relative to their December peak). That optimism is conditioned on Musk actually fixing the problems (many of them self-inflicted) plaguing the EV maker while also delivering on his promise to launch an autonomous robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, in the coming weeks. It'd be a tall order for any CEO. It is a gargantuan ask for someone running multiple flailing companies at the same time. A month ago, Tesla reported a 70% drop in earnings for the first quarter. That (along with a report in the Wall Street Journal that said Tesla's board had gone shopping for a new CEO) seemed to be a wakeup call for the billionaire, whose foray into far-right politics turned out to be disastrous for the electric vehicle brand. Data released Tuesday showed Tesla's European sales fell by about 50% — the fourth month in a row of declining year-over-year sales for the company. There are two primary reasons why: Europeans are rejecting Musk's personal politics, and choosing to buy much-cheaper EVs from Chinese carmakers such as BYD. (ICYMI: BYD is the brand Musk once scoffed at and is now eating Tesla's lunch on the global stage.) It remains to be seen how Musk will deal with the Cybertruck, his pet project that's become a 7,000-pound albatross for Tesla, plagued by repeated recalls (including one for a piece of trim that was literally falling off the vehicle) and weak sales. Two years ago, Musk said with a straight face that he expected to add 250,000 Cybertrucks a year to American roads. Tesla sold 40,000 of them last year. In the first quarter of this year, it sold only 6,400, according to Cox Automotive. If sales don't pick up, Tesla is on track to notch only about one-tenth of its annual goal. The Cybertrucks are losing value fast. Tesla only recently started allowing trade-ins, and two customers told Business Insider that their trade-in estimates amounted to roughly 37% depreciation after just a year. On top of all that, Musk — who has a history of overpromising and missing deadlines by years — plans to launch Tesla's driverless ride-hailing service next month in Austin. But already, questions are swirling about Tesla's ability to pull that off. According to Fortune, 'key groups — including Austin's transportation department, Austin's emergency first responders, and federal regulators — are still missing important information about the self-driving machines.' The stakes are high. Tech analyst Dan Ives, who has been uncharacteristically critical of Musk's political involvement and its damage to the Tesla brand, said in a note last week that 'the vast majority' of Tesla's valuation upside is centered on the success of its 'autonomous vision taking hold.' The Austin event is the 'beginning of this next era of growth for Musk and Tesla.' CNN's Anna Cooban contributed reporting.
