The anticipation surrounding Tesla’s Robotaxi Day, set for October 10th, reached fever pitch when McDonald’s tweeted a picture of a delivery order with the phrase “chat’s about to pop off 10.10.” Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s emoji response to the tweet ignited speculation that the two companies might be collaborating. The internet buzzed with theories of a partnership between McDonald’s and Tesla, fueled by the shared date and Musk’s known interest in the fast-food chain.
However, the rumors quickly subsided when McDonald’s announced the launch of their new Chicken Big Mac sandwich, a limited-time offer debuting on October 10th. The timing was purely coincidental, but the connection between the two events sparked plenty of buzz on social media.
While any potential partnership between McDonald’s and Tesla remains a mere rumor, the interaction between Musk and McDonald’s executives on X (formerly Twitter) further fuelled the speculation. Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X, tweeted about looking forward to knowing what she would have for lunch on October 10th, adding chicken and burger emojis to her message. Adding fuel to the fire, Musk recently followed Guillaume Huin, McDonald’s Senior Marketing Director, on X.
This isn’t the first time Elon Musk has teased a relationship with the fast-food giant. In 2022, Musk offered to eat a Happy Meal on live television if McDonald’s started accepting Dogecoin as a payment option. The recent buzz surrounding the Chicken Big Mac and Robotaxi Day might just be another instance of coincidental timing. However, with both events happening on the same day, the potential for a future collaboration between McDonald’s and Tesla, even if just a marketing partnership, can’t be entirely ruled out.
