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Claim: A Facebook user, Martin King, posted a claim on Facebook, alleging that Elon Musk has announced his intentions to buy Real Madrid.
Verdict: False! Our investigation found that an individual cannot buy Real Madrid. Additionally, there is no evidence to suggest that Elon Musk has announced his intention to buy Real Madrid.
Full Text
In the 2024/2025 season, Forbes reported that Real Madrid became the first European club to surpass $ USD 1 billion in revenue.
With its well-recognised global brand, Real Madrid made over $USD 500 million in commercial revenue.
Recently, Real Madrid reported that operating revenue for the 2024/2025 financial year reached € 1.185 billion, an increase of € 111 million (10.4%) on the 2023/2024 financial year.
This financial impact made the club the wealthiest in Europe’s top five leagues.
Despite the club’s financial gains this year, the club struggled to win major trophies under Carlos Ancelotti, a setback that precipitated the gaffer’s departure for the club’s legend, Xabi Alonso.
According to FIFA, Real Madrid, founded in 1902, remains the greatest club of the century. Following its performance in the 2024/2025 season, UEFA ranked it the best club in Europe.
Since the club’s establishment, there has been no news of a potential sale of the club.
However, a Facebook user, Martin King, posted a claim alleging that Elon Musk has announced plans to buy Real Madrid.
A similar claim was found here and here. The claim has made inroads among football fans on social media.
DUBAWA decided to fact-check the claim due to its potential to mislead.
Verification
Firstly, DUBAWA conducted a Google keyword search to verify the claim, but found no evidence supporting it.
DUBAWA also found that any credible sports news agency, such as Sky Sports, MARCA, and ESPN did not report the claim.
The researcher also searched Elon Musk’s X account and found no evidence to support Martin King’s claim.
Instead, DUBAWA found that in 2022, Elon Musk had jokingly tweeted that he would buy Manchester United.
The first part of the tweet reads: “Also, I am buying Manchester United, you’re welcome.”
When an X user asked him for confirmation, he replied, “No. This is a long-running joke on Twitter. I am not buying any sports team.”
DUBAWA also contacted the claimant for evidence of the claim, but he did not provide any.
However, DUBAWA conducted a further investigation into Real Madrid’s ownership and found that it is a fan-owned club, not owned by an individual.
Can Elon Musk buy Real Madrid individually?
No! He cannot buy it as an individual because, according to a detailed report by Sporting News, Real Madrid is not owned by an individual. It’s owned by a group of individuals in Spain known as the “socios.” The “socios” have voting rights to elect the Club President, who runs the club’s affairs. Currently, the club’s iconic president is Florentino Perez.
Real Madrid operates as a cooperative society rather than an individually owned club.
Because of the club’s ownership hierarchy, it was difficult for it to be bought by a single individual. Real Madrid does not enjoy individual investments like Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, etc.
Who are the “socios”?
The “socios” are a group of individuals in Spain who pay annual subscription fees of around €149 for adults and €50 for children to the club.
The socios are also club members, but not all are considered “socios.”
To become a club member, two existing socios must vouch for you. The club has nearly 900,000 socio members.
DUBAWA also observed that if Elon Musk had announced his plans to buy Real Madrid, it would have been reported by credible news agencies, just as his 2022 tweets about buying Manchester United were.
Conclusion
DUBAWA found no evidence suggesting that Elon Musk is interested in buying Real Madrid. Also, an individual cannot buy Real Madrid because the club members own the club.
