Elon Musk's 'Dad Bod' Transformation Is Head-Turning

Elon Musk is in constant flux — personally, spiritually, politically, and even physically, although the latter usually occurs at a significantly slower pace than the others. However, that doesn't make it any less marked — case in point: Musk's head-turning "dad bod" transformation.

Given that Musk has 14 kids (and counting), if anybody's earned a "dad bod," it's him. And, for the longest time, Musk didn't seem to care; he happily flaunted his curves, wearing tight Ts and flashing the flesh while stripping down to swim trunks on a Greek getaway — but more on that atrocity later.

However, everything changed after Musk struck up his ill-fated friendship with Donald Trump and underwent a mega MAGA metamorphosis. Whether that was a coincidence or a case of succumbing to Trump's obsession with weight, no one will likely ever know. Still, plenty of people noticed. Suddenly, strange images and videos of Musk looking suspiciously toned and muscular started cropping up on X, formerly Twitter. "Le Elon Musk posting AI pictures of himself because he has the physique of a Cybertruck has arrived," a Redditor commented in November 2024. But, then in the blink of an eye, Musk dumped the plump and showed off a ripped six pack while bouncing around on stage like a crazed Mexican jumping bean. So, tuck into the Buffalo boneless and guzzle down the super size because from his "Star Wars" snack pack to his tubby Tesla tummy to his astounding abs, we're checking out Musk's head turning dad bod transformation.

Elon Musk's first child, Nevada Alexander Musk, arrived in 2002. Tragically, the little boy died at just 10 weeks due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), leaving Musk and his first wife, Justine Wilson, understandably heartbroken. However, the couple welcomed five more children before divorcing in 2008. So, when the tenties rolled around, Elon's dad bod was in full bloom.

He showed off his portly proportions while posing for photos with actor/director Jon Favreau and comedian Russell Peters at the world premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in December 2015. Favreau and Peters were all smiles, while Elon looked like he was trying his best to (unsuccessfully) suck his stomach in.

Elon Musk's dad bod belly had expanded considerably by 2020, in line with his fortune, which, according to Forbes, welcomed in the year at $24.6 billion and bade it farewell at $151 billion. That's a lot of doner kebabs and deep-fried sugary treats for your money. And Musk appears addicted to the latter, making it rain — torrentially — at Dunkin' each and every day. "I eat a donut every morning. Still alive," he boasted in a March 2023 X post. "Good news Elon, is that when you are ready to step up your physical health optimization, you have an easy picking, just stop ingesting anything with sugar added to it...first few days/weeks are tough but then it gets easier...and fruit will taste as good as candy eventually," a commenter claimed.

However, Musk clearly ignored the advice — or decided that fruit tastes nowhere near as good as sugar, because he looked like he was about to burst the buttons on his pink shirt when he visited Berlin in September 2020.

Elon Musk reached peak dad bod levels in July 2022, and unfortunately for him, every inch of his meaty makeup was caught on camera. Musk was chillaxin' in some swim shorts during a big fat Greek getaway on Hollywood über entertainment guru Ari Emanuel's yacht when some pesky paps snapped the half-naked billionaire while he was definitely not looking his best. This was especially true while he was being hosed down by Emanuel.

Here's Elon Musk on his luxury yacht in Mykonos. Best caption wins.

(Credit: ThePhotOne/BACKGRID) pic.twitter.com/krtzNxpSbd

— Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) July 18, 2022

The pics were dispatched around the world for all and sundry to see, and social media had a body-shaming field day. "The Human Blob Fish," a hater sniped on X. "Chad how many times do I have to tell you. You don't have to rinse the chicken before you cook it," another commented.

After Elon Musk's big fat Greek getaway photos surfaced, he was relentlessly mocked and body-shamed. Even his father, Errol Musk — whom he described as a "terrible human being" in a November 2017 Rolling Stone interview — got in on the act. "Elon is very well built, and he's very, very strongly built. But he's eating badly," Errol said on the "Kyle and Jackie Show" in August 2022, sharing he'd advised Elon several times to take some shady weight loss supplement he was promoting — probably.

Elon swerved his dad's questionable advice and determined his own route to slim-down success. "On advice of a good friend, I've been fasting periodically & feel healthier," he posted on X shortly after Errol's interview. However, Elon took it slow, showing off a slightly thinner but still meaty midriff while giving a tour of his SpaceX Star Factory in June 2024.

Elon Musk's dad bod transformation from flabby to fit was well and truly on its way to completion in October 2024 as he took to the stage at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania and jumped around like he was performing in an old school '90s Kris Kross video.

As Musk lept in the air like he don't care, his T-shirt rose up to display the burgeoning beginning of a six-pack — well, more of a four-pack in reality. Not surprisingly, the extraordinary appearance and strange shape throwing sparked a million — or thereabouts — memes. Still, there was no doubt Musk had undergone a significant slimdown in a period of just months. He did so by sticking to a high protein, low carb diet, among other factors. "Wow, steak & eggs with coffee in the morning really feels like a powerup!" Musk posted on X in July 2024.

Elon Musk was positively filled with the festive spirit on Christmas Day 2024. Flaunting the effects of his drastic slimdown, Musk posted what some would deem a "sexy Santa" photo, showing him posing in full Saint Nick regalia, complete with a big, bushy white beard. "Ozempic Santa," he captioned the pic, referencing the injectable weight loss drug initially approved to help treat diabetes. "Like Cocaine Bear, but Santa and Ozempic!" he quipped in the comments. "Technically, Mounjaro, but that doesn't have the same ring to it," Musk further revealed, name-checking Ozempic's pharmaceutical rival.

The billionaire tech bro obviously loved having shed his old dad bod and was fully embracing his significant slenderizing. However, the question lingered: would the dad bod return when the drugs stopped?

Elon Musk's Mounjaro-fueled slimdown was short-lived, and by March 2025, the dad bod had made a strong return, as evidenced in pics of him strolling on the White House grounds as he chatted with his (soon-to-be ex) BFF Donald Trump.

It's highly possible that Musk had suffered the common side effect of weight gain that often follows stopping use of the drug, or perhaps the lure of his daily donut intake had just proved too much to ignore any longer. Either way, there was no denying Musk was looking portly and paunchy once again, and his baggy jacket did nothing to conceal his stout stomach.