Elon Musk: Tech giant, political force and video game king. Or is he?

For the US billionaire, being a “hardcore gamer” is a key part of his identity. But some in the community are starting to doubt whether he has the time or skill to be on the leaderboards.

Elon Musk arrives to speak at an indoor presidential inauguration parade event in Washington, at the same as his Path of Exile 2 account was active. AP

Eli Tan and Mike Isaac

Jan 27, 2025 – 2.34pm

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On its face, the claim feels improbable: in addition to being the world’s richest man, the chief executive of multiple companies and a key adviser to President Donald Trump, Elon Musk says he is also a world-class video game player.

It is a claim that Musk has repeated through the years. He has an account on X, his social media platform, dedicated to posting highlights of his gameplay. He has streamed with some of the top competitive video game players in the world on platforms such as Twitch. He has even etched his name on the global leaderboards of certain games.