'How can this be real?': Elon Musk reacts to 1953 German book claiming leader of Mars will be called 'Elon'

According to the University of Illinois, The Mars Project is regarded as a 'classic on space travel.'

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk recently reacted with surprise to a post on X (formerly Twitter) about a 1953 German book that appears to reference a leader of Mars named “Elon.” His reaction, a brief five-word question, sparked a wave of speculation and comments, with many social media users questioning if Musk himself might be an alien or a time traveller.

The post in question referred to "The Mars Project", a book written by renowned German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun. The text claims the book predicted that Mars’ leader would be called "Elon." An image shared alongside the post included an excerpt purportedly from the book’s original German manuscript.

The post read: “The 1953 book Mars Project by famous rocket scientist Werner von Braun says the leader of Mars shall be called ‘Elon.’ Someone pulled the original German manuscript out of archives to debunk this myth, only to confirm that von Braun did indeed predict he would be called ‘Elon.’”

The accompanying excerpt, when translated into English using Google Translate, described Martian governance:
“...was connected with that inner commitment to action, which was also the driving force in the development of Martian civilization. The management of the tara consisted of ten vessels. At their head was a man who was awakened by the genant population for five years at a time, whom the Martians called Elon. But opposite Elon and my cabinet, there was a Farlanent who decided on the laws according to which the cabinet had to govern...”

Musk re-shared the post, responding with the question, “How can this be real?” His cryptic reaction immediately triggered a wave of responses from users, many of whom speculated on Musk’s possible extraterrestrial origins.

How can this be real? https://t.co/n5V4TZQo8q Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 27, 2025

“Maybe you’re like a time traveller or something,” suggested one user. Musk responded humorously, “No matter how often I tell people that I’m a 5000-year-old alien time traveller, they don’t believe me.”

Another user joked, “You’re an alien, aren’t you?” while others called the book’s reference to “Elon” a prophecy, with one writing, “The prophecy will be fulfilled.”

According to the University of Illinois, The Mars Project is regarded as a “classic on space travel.” Written at a time when space exploration was largely considered science fiction, the book outlines von Braun’s vision of the challenges and possibilities associated with interplanetary travel.

Von Braun, a pioneering rocket scientist who later played a key role in the development of NASA’s Apollo programme, speculated on the governance and technological advancements of a future Martian civilisation. The reference to a leader named “Elon” has since captured public imagination, particularly given Musk’s aspirations to colonise Mars through his company SpaceX.