Elon Musk’s Instagram Handle Up for Sale—And It’s Getting Pricey
Someone’s trying to sell the Instagram username @elonmusk in a Telegram group, and the bids are already hitting thousands of dollars. The catch? Musk hasn’t used Instagram in years—and whoever grabs the handle might use it to push questionable crypto schemes.
X user @henn100x spotted the sale yesterday and warned followers not to trust any “larp coins” (basically, joke or scam cryptocurrencies) that the new owner might promote. It’s a fair concern. Scammers love hijacking high-profile accounts to push shady stuff, and Musk’s name is basically catnip for crypto grifters.
Bidding Wars for Big-Name Handles
Right now, the auction’s happening in a Telegram group called “Tekk,” where people trade usernames like rare collectibles. The top bid so far? $6,000. The @elonmusk account has changed its name eight times already and currently has “Tekk” in its bio—no clue what that’s about, but it doesn’t exactly scream legitimacy.
And it’s not just Musk’s name on the block. Other handles up for grabs include @transformers, @terrorists, and… @cocaines. Yeah, that last one’s a head-scratcher. But the bigger worry is how these accounts get used afterward. Hackers often turn them into platforms for phishing links or fake crypto pumps, leaving followers holding the bag.
A Familiar Playbook
This isn’t new. Last year, hacked accounts belonging to McDonald’s, Usher, and Wiz Khalifa were used to steal millions in crypto. Musk’s name, though, is a special case. There’s been no shortage of scams tied to him—fake giveaways, impersonator accounts, you name it.
Funny thing is, Musk ditched Instagram back in 2018. At the time, he called the platform “thirsty” and joked it gave you “Death by Water.” (Poetic, but also… what?) Point is, he’s not coming back to claim the handle.
So if you see @elonmusk suddenly shilling a new memecoin next week, maybe think twice before clicking. Or better yet, don’t click at all.
