Article Claiming Warren Buffett Buying Tesla Fools Social Media

An April Fools’ Day prank sparked widespread confusion online after an article falsely claimed Warren Buffett had acquired Elon Musk-owned Tesla for $1 trillion in cash.

Although the GoBankingRates article revealed at the bottom that it was “entirely satirical,” it went viral on social media, with many users only sharing screengrabs of the headline.

It caused such a fuss that Yahoo News U.S. was one of several outlets that had to debunk the claim.

The piece included a fabricated quote attributed to Buffett: “While I’ve publicly maintained that I don’t understand tech companies, I’ve secretly been driving a Cybertruck around my Nebraska neighborhood at night.”

Why It Matters

Even clearly marked April Fools’ gags can quickly become misinformation in today’s fragmented media environment. While satire and brand humor are common tactics used to generate buzz, fake headlines—especially those involving high-profile individuals and large dollar figures—can sow temporary chaos and undermine trust in legitimate reporting.

This incident also highlights the evolving role of media literacy. As companies and publications use increasingly sophisticated humor to attract attention, readers must distinguish between fact and fiction, especially on platforms where context is often stripped away.

The other context is that Buffett used to openly support the Democrats, hosting fundraisers for President Barack Obama and backing Hillary Clinton at a 2016 rally. However, he did not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris or anyone else last year.

What To Know

Tesla shareholder Eva McMillan, who has in her bio on Musk-owned X, formerly Twitter, that she is the First Tesla S Plaid owner in Florida, was one of the many who posted about the prank.

She seemed to fall for it as she posted a screengrab of the headline with the caption: “BREAKING: Warren Buffet buys Tesla $TSLA stock for $1 Trillion in cash. Finally Telsa.” But she also posted underneath it: “This could be April fools day news.”

The post had more than 50,000 views and 143 shares.

Not everyone who spoke about the story was fooled, with many users commenting on the post that it was a joke. One account, @ISpoLies, said: “Nothing to be taken serious today.”

DOGE News, a fan page for the Musk-headed Department of Government Efficiency, posted: “Anyone fall for an April Fool’s joke today or were they all too over the top to fall for?”

User Renee, @PierretteDe2, said: “I know someone who fell for the Warren Buffet buying Tesla Hoax.”

User @CaoChangqing, a conservative who often posts political commentary, also posted about the article in Chinese.

“While Tesla cars were destroyed and Musk was attacked by the left-wing media, Buffett, known as the ‘stock god’, announced today that he would use $1 trillion in cash to buy Tesla! The media said that this was a huge deal that had never been seen in business history,” @CaoChangqing wrote, according to a translation given by X.

The post received more than 123,000 views and was shared at least 300 times.

There has been no public response from Buffett or Musk. Newsweek has contacted Tesla and Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance via email for comment.

April Fools’ Day has become a favorite opportunity for companies to grab attention through outlandish or humorous announcements. This year, brands launched campaigns ranging from fake sweat-stained workout gear by Set Active to a fictitious five-year global cruise with Duolingo. Guido Campello, co-CEO of lingerie brand Journelle, said the day offers “a unique opportunity for brands…to engage customers with a playful twist,” per USA Today.

Not all pranks go over well. Yahoo’s Buffett-Tesla gag follows a long line of corporate April 1 misfires. Google had to apologize in 2016 after a prank Gmail feature sent users unintended “mic drop” GIFs. Musk himself once joked that Tesla had gone “completely and totally bankrupt” in 2018—right after a significant drop in the company’s stock price, a move that rattled investors.

What People Are Saying

X user @CaoChangqing: “It seems that (Buffett) knows better that Musk is ‘doing big things’ and helping President Trump save our country.

“The stock god used to lean to the left, but now he has begun to sober up. If someone this old can sober up, young people under 90 years old are still not clear, they are harming themselves.”

Musk posted last year on X that Buffett “should take a position in Tesla. It’s an obvious move.”

What Happens Next

While the Tesla acquisition hoax may not carry lasting consequences, its spread serves as a reminder of how easily satire can be misinterpreted in a digital environment.

In an age of viral news and AI-generated content, even jokes come with reputational risks.