Images of a Yemeni Man Looking Like Elon Musk Are Doctored
The Claim
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Recently, social media users widely circulated two images purporting to display a Yemeni man who resembles the billionaire Elon Musk. The images depict him selling the “khat” drug in one of Yemen's markets.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the viral images and found them to be fake.
A thorough reverse image search revealed the image making the rounds to be digitally altered.
The Images of a Yemeni Elon Musk Lookalike Are Doctored
The first original image dates back to May 2021 and shows a Yemeni citizen who works selling khat in one of the markets of the city of Ataq in Shabwa Governorate, eastern Yemen.
Photographer Sam Tarling captured the image for the Sana'a Center for Studies.
The second original image was also manipulated to add Elon Musk’s face. The image dates back to October 1, 2008. The Alamy website features the image with the caption "Khat in Yemen."
What Is Khat?
Khat is categorized as a stimulant drug, characterized by its ability to accelerate the transmission of messages between the brain and the body. Chewing khat holds significance within certain social customs prevalent in various regions of the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia and Yemen, as well as in Eastern Africa, notably Somalia.
Khat is composed of cathinone and cathine, chemical compounds responsible for producing its stimulant effects.
Continued and frequent consumption of khat can potentially lead to various long-term consequences, including the exacerbation of pre-existing mental health issues, liver ailments, fertility concerns like impotence, and digestive difficulties such as constipation and mouth soreness, psychological dependency, and an elevated risk of developing mouth cancer.
Who Is Elon Musk?
Elon Musk is a prominent figure in the business world, known for his role as a business magnate and investor. He serves in various leadership positions, including being the founder, chairman, CEO, and chief technology officer of SpaceX. Additionally, he holds the titles of angel investor, CEO, and product architect of Tesla, Inc. He also fulfills roles as the owner, chairman, and CTO of X Corp., as well as being the founder of the Boring Company. Musk's influence extends further as a co-founder of Neuralink and OpenAI, and he holds the position of president within the Musk Foundation.
Remarkably, Elon Musk holds the distinction of being the wealthiest individual globally, with an approximate net worth of $225.3 billion as of August 2023, based on data from the Forbes Billionaires Index.
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