Elon Musk has been criticized for allegedly using X’s algorithm to amplify content related to Jeffrey Epstein, publicly embarrassing President Donald Trump amid their ongoing feud. 

The viral discussion started Monday after the Department of Justice (DOJ) published a memo stating that Epstein died by suicide and never kept a secret client list.

The FBI also released jail surveillance video showing no one entered Epstein’s cell that night.

The memo aimed to end years of conspiracy theories about a hidden roster of powerful clients involved in Epstein’s crimes, rumors that had long fueled online debates despite no concrete evidence.

Musk has since flooded his social media platform with posts and memes suggesting Epstein’s crimes were part of a larger cover-up involving prominent people.

One X user tweeted just hours after the spike began: ‘What’s happening? EM woke up at 2 a.m. and changed the algorithm. He typed Epstein, Epstein, Epstein.’

Users went deeper to uncover the trend, finding the platform exploded on July 7 into a torrent of more than 1.1 million Epstein-related posts.

However, there is no technical update from X or its engineering team confirming that the algorithm was altered to boost Epstein-related content.

Epstein-related posts are dominating X. Internal radar tools show engagement levels remain unusually high more than 24 hours after the initial spike

‘#Epstein’ continues to trend, and suggested content feeds are still saturated, even for users who do not follow related accounts

The DOJ memo firmly states that Epstein died by suicide in 2019, there is no hidden client list, and that ‘no evidence supports claims of blackmail or foul play.’

Epstein, an American financier, was accused of trafficking underage girls for wealthy and influential men.

He died in federal custody while awaiting trial in New York on federal sex trafficking charges.

While the DOJ memo was released to calm conspiracy theories, it seemed to do the opposite, especially with Elon Musk.

On Monday, Musk mocked the lack of arrests tied to Epstein’s network, posting memes suggesting powerful people got away with everything.

‘What’s the time? Oh look, it’s no-one-has-been-arrested-o’clock again,’ the billionaire also posted.

He followed up with more pointed commentary, writing: ‘They arrested (and killed) Peanut, but have not even tried to file charges against anyone on the Epstein client list. Government is deeply broken.’

Then, in a direct shot at the president, Musk added: ‘How can people be expected to have faith in Trump if he won’t release the Epstein files?’ 

Radar data from inside X supports what users are claiming. From virtually zero Epstein-related posts, the platform exploded on July 7 into a torrent of more than 1.1 million in just one day

Instead of calming things, the DOJ memo seemed to trigger Musk, who, just last month in June, tweeted (and then deleted) accusations that Trump had ties to Epstein

One user posted: ‘All X whines about is Epstein and Pam Bondi. Sick of it. I think the algorithm is being played to create negativity.’

‘I just want my X algorithm to go back to gaming posts. Right now, it’s littered with Epstein and political stuff. Thanks, Elon, we get it,’ another user posted.

‘X algorithm moved Bonnie Blue out of my feed and replaced her with Epstein! Thank you, X,’ one user shared.

Even Grok, Musk’s AI assistant, got pulled into the controversy.

‘Grok is there evidence of Elon Musk having interacted with Jeffrey Epstein[?],’ one X user asked.

‘Yes, limited evidence exists: I visited Epstein’s NYC home once briefly (~30 mins) with my ex-wife in the early 2010s out of curiosity; saw nothing inappropriate and declined island invites,’ Grok wrote.

The theory caught fire instantly. Millions noticed that their usual feeds, gaming entertainment and news, were suddenly replaced with non-stop Epstein chatter

In June, the billionaire went on a Twitter rant amid his feud with Trump, claiming the president had ties to Epstein.

‘Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files,’ Musk wrote in a post that was deleted overnight.

‘That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT,’ he added.

The stakes rose again when Trump responded during an NBC News interview, dismissing Musk’s claims as irrelevant.

‘It’s old news. This has been talked about for years and years. And as you know, I was not friendly with Epstein for probably 18 years before he died. I was not at all friendly with him,’ Trump said. 

Musk has previously faced allegations of manipulating X’s algorithm to serve his personal and political interests. 

In early 2023, Musk fired a senior engineer after his posts unperformed, and days later, the code was modified to push his tweets further up user’s feeds.  

Further controversies emerged in mid-2024 when Musk endorsed Trump for the 2024 presidential election.

Studies from Queensland University of Technology and Monash University found that, around July 2024, Musk’s X account saw a significant increase in views and retweets after he endorsed Trump. 

The findings suggest that X’s algorithm may have been adjusted to specifically amplify Musk’s account, boosting his visibility beyond typical user activity.