Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has sparked controversy after stating that Instagram is "for girls" and mocking men who share their profiles with him.
"Instagram is for girls," Musk wrote on X while replying to a viral thread about social media habits and online trends. The post featured a discussion about how people's online habits can reflect different “phases” of their lives.
Lmao
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 15, 2026
Instagram is for girls
The thread highlighted common Instagram trends such as posting “thirst traps”, uploading stories throughout the day and sharing pictures of homemade food.
Later, Musk added another comment saying that when grown men send him their Instagram profiles, he wonders if they are “transitioning or what.” He wrote, "Obviously. Sometimes grown men send me their Instagram profiles and I'm like are you transitioning or what?"
Obviously.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 15, 2026
Sometimes grown men send me their Instagram profiles and I'm like are you transitioning or what?
The post quickly went viral, with many social media users calling his comments sexist and offensive.
One user wrote, "54 year old man saying 'lmao' is more Instagram than a girl can handle."
54 year old man saying "lmao" is more Instagram than a girl can handle...
— Abyssinian????????/????????American (@Cradle_of_Adwa) May 15, 2026
Another commented, "These grown men might be women trying to scam you. Fake is all you can find out there."
These grown men might be women trying to scam you.
— ???????? Myrna Moore ???????? (@mimaw4Jesus_God) May 16, 2026
Fake is all you can find out there
"Men should have a separate app called BROSTAGRAM because it explains the pout, the soft lighting, and the 47 mirror selfies," wrote another user.
Men should have a separate app called BROSTAGRAM because explain the pout, the soft lighting, and the 47 mirror selfies ????????????
— astraea (@astraeacryptox) May 15, 2026
"Yeah, unless of course you owned it, then it would be for ‘super duper Alpha manly men'....right Elon?" another comment read.
Yeah, unless of course you owned it, then it would be for "super duper Alpha manly men"....right Elon? ????
— Khanjar خنجر ???????? (@Khanjar111) May 15, 2026
Elon Musk has often criticized platforms owned by Meta Platforms while promoting X as a more open and serious alternative.
Earlier, Musk's estranged daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, publicly came out on Instagram and later distanced herself from him. In 2022, she legally changed her name and gender and stated that she no longer wanted to be related to Musk “in any way, shape or form.”
Musk later made controversial comments about her transition and blamed “woke culture” for their strained relationship. “I vowed to destroy the woke mind virus after that. And we're making some progress,” he said.
