Optimus pharmaceutical factory photo raises doubts, Musk responds: It's fake

Tesla (TSLA.O) CEO Elon Musk on Thursday denied the authenticity of photos circulating online that claimed to show the company’s humanoid robot Optimus operating inside a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.

Musk responded on the X platform to a post displaying a screenshot of the website of U.S. pharmaceutical and agricultural infrastructure company PharmAGRI, simply writing “Fake.”

According to earlier reports on Thursday, PharmAGRI stated it had signed a letter of intent with Tesla, planning to purchase up to 10,000 Optimus robots starting from the third generation. The company displayed photos on its website showing Optimus robots working in laboratory and factory settings, claiming these devices would be deployed on farms, in pharmaceutical ingredient synthesis, and in drug manufacturing facilities.

This news spread rapidly on social media, but some Tesla watchers believed it was unlikely that Tesla would deliver two batches of Optimus robots to an obscure company so soon. Some pointed out that Tesla typically commissions well-known clients to test its early products; for example, PepsiCo previously collaborated with Tesla Semi.

Musk’s comment did not address the agreement itself, but was clearly aimed at the images on the website showing robots working inside the facility.

The company’s Chairwoman and CEO, Lynn Stockwell, stated that the company is indeed working with Tesla. She said: “With Tesla robots powering our facilities, and DEA-authorized infrastructure, we can precisely scale up to meet federal procurement requirements and provide compliant, safe, and American-made therapies.”

Musk’s denial came after social media users pointed out that PharmAGRI had uploaded these images to its homepage, sparking questions about whether Tesla robots were already being tested or even deployed in real-world scenarios.

Tesla first unveiled the Optimus prototype in 2022 and has since showcased two updated versions. Musk has described the humanoid robot project as central to Tesla’s future, but the company is still in the early stages of ramping up production capacity.

According to a report by The Information in early July, production remains at the level of several hundred units, still far from the target of 5,000 units by 2025.

Musk has not commented on the press release PharmAGRI issued this week announcing the signing of the letter of intent. Earlier this month, he wrote that “about 80% of Tesla’s value will come from Optimus.”

Tesla’s revenue last year was $97.69 billions, which means that for the robotics business to support Musk’s prediction, annual sales would need to grow to about $390.8 billions.