Is Elon Musk autistic? Does the Tesla CEO have autism or Asperger's syndrome, is he on the spectrum - as he responds to controversial 'Nazi salute'

Musk shocked many - including those watching at Washington DC's Capital One Arena - when he put his hand on his chest, then stretched out his arm with an open hand. To many it appeared Musk had performed a fascist salute - familiar to most from their use by the Nazis in reverence to Adolf Hitler.

Elon Musk has now responded to the ‘Nazi salute’ claims on X, formerly Twitter. He said “Since legacy media propaganda is considered a “valid” source by Wikipedia, it naturally simply becomes an extension of legacy media propaganda!” quoting a tweet that attached a photo showing Wikipedia page that wrote how his gesture was compared to a ‘Nazi salute’.

The tech billionaire also retweeted a post made by another user who had shared a photo of Taylor Swift seemingly making the same hand gesture. The user said: “My god. Not her too“.

He also quoted a tweet that showed photos of other politicians making the same hand gestures including Barack Obama and Kamala Harris. Musk said: “The legacy media is pure propaganda. You are the media now.”

It comes as a video of himself and Barron Trump, Donald Trump’s son, was ridiculed on social media as it showed “two different types of autism”. Spectators were left tickled by the difference in energy levels on display by 18-year-old Barron versus Musk, 53 during Trump’s inauguration. Musk the one was seen enthusiastically clapping and cheering in the audience.

This contrasted with a more sedate and refined Barron, whose measured response was only underscored by Musk's excitement. Many noted what appeared to be a look of almost disdain on the youngster's face as X-owner Musk began whooping and hollering.

Elon Musk has previously confirmed that he has been diagnosed with autism. He said he was sadly bullied for being autistic as a child, but credited the condition in part with his success, as this fuelled an intense and specialised interest in science and technology.

He said: "I found it rewarding to spend all night programming computers, just by myself. Most people don't enjoy typing strange symbols into a computer by themselves all night. They think that's not fun. But I really liked it."

During his guest appearance on "Saturday Night Live” on 8 May 2021, Elon Musk also disclosed openly that he suffers from Asperger's syndrome. Asperger's is no longer a separate diagnosis now as it comes under autism. In a direct and open statement, Musk remarked: "I'm making history tonight as the first person with Asperger's to host SNL."

Autism is a spectrum, not a single condition, including various abilities and symptoms. People with ASD frequently struggle with social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviours. From person to person, these difficulties might differ significantly.