Trump Describes a 'Very Rich, Very Fat' Friend, and the Internet Thinks It's Elon Musk

During a public appearance, Trump referred an unnamed friend who had financial success and personal struggles with weight. He said, 'A friend of mine who's a very smart guy, very very rich, very powerful man actually. But he's very fat. And he took the fat drug. I won't give you which one. It was Ozempic ... the drug doesn't work on him. I saw him recently. He's actually fatter than ever'.

Social media users were quick to interpret the comment as a veiled reference to Elon Musk, Tesla and X (formerly Twitter) CEO, who is not only a friend of Trump, but also one of the most powerful tech billionaires and soon-to-be trillionaire.

The Context of Trump's 'Ozempic' Speech

Trump made the remark during a White House roundtable discussion on Jan. 16, 2026 on rural healthcare and prescription drug pricing. At the event, Trump said a friend of his, described as 'very smart, very, very rich and very powerful', had taken a weight‑loss medication, which Trump referred to colloquially as the 'fat drug', and told him it didn't work for him.

He then joked that the friend 'is actually fatter than ever' despite taking the drug and used that anecdote to illustrate what he sees as absurdly high prices for such medications in the US compared with abroad. Trump shared that the unnamed acquaintance paid about £971 ($1,300) per month for the drug in New York but only about (£65) ($87) for the same medication in London, arguing this showed the need to lower drug prices.

He added that when he told the friend the drug wasn't working for him, the friend said, 'Thanks, you make me feel good', prompting Trump to explain his bluntness by saying he believed in 'always' being truthful.

Why People Think the 'Fat' Friend is Elon Musk

Social media users quickly began speculating about who the friend might be, with many suggesting tech billionaire Musk due to his public use of similar drugs and wealth. Trump described the friend as 'very smart, very, very rich, very powerful', which fits Musk's profile as the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter/ X. This coincides with the fact that Musk has been open about his attempts to lose weight and his use of fitness and health products. Some netizens connected this with Trump's remark about a 'fat drug'.

Around the same period, Musk had been in the news for personal health experiments and lifestyle changes, which made him a plausible candidate in the eyes of social media users. Trump rarely names the person directly, leaving the description vague. Social media thrives on filling in the blanks, so users naturally jumped to Musk as a high-profile figure who matched the wealth and influence criteria.

Given Musk's frequent appearances in viral content showing his physical build, many joked that it's why Trump had to intervene and say that the fat drug isn't working. Neither Trump nor Musk commented on the speculations.

But it's worth noting that Trump and Musk were never long‑standing personal friends in the classic sense of a decades‑long relationship. Before 2024, they were more political acquaintances with a mixed history, not close social friends. Musk had often criticised Trump in the past, and the two did not have a personal friendship before recent political developments. Their public connection only grew significantly during and after the 2024 US presidential election.