The more level-headed observers are approaching the situation with a healthy dose of skepticism. “This seems like another Musk publicity stunt,” opined a tech analyst. “Remember the time he claimed he was selling all his possessions and would own no home?”

Meanwhile, the Gates camp has remained remarkably silent on the issue. Perhaps they’re taking the ‘ignore it, and it’ll go away’ approach. Or maybe they’re just too busy tackling actual global crises to pay attention to the eccentric billionaire’s tweet.

The media, however, is having a field day. Between expert panels, op-ed pieces, and memes galore, Musk’s tweet has proven to be a bonanza of content. It’s almost as if Musk has singlehandedly kept the news cycle alive amidst a global pandemic and an economic downturn.

But, let’s take a step back and examine the situation. Could there be any truth to Musk’s claim? Is the philanthropic Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, hiding a sinister secret? Or is this just another Musk-ian strategy to distract us from the latest SpaceX explosion?