Tesla CEO Elon Musk has publicly dismissed claims that his company received a letter of intent for up to 10,000 Optimus humanoid robots from a newly merged agricultural and pharmaceutical firm.
PharmAGRI, a company reportedly merging with Bright Green Corporation, had announced plans to acquire the third-generation Optimus robots.
The firm stated its intention to deploy the robots for various repetitive, low-wage tasks within its agricultural operations, active pharmaceutical ingredient synthesis, and prescription drug manufacturing facilities.
PharmAGRI indicated the robots would help meet U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) deviation control and labor compliance standards. The company also suggested the robots could generate real-time audit reports and reduce reliance on undocumented labor.
Musk responded directly to reports showing images of Tesla humanoids on PharmAGRI’s website, stating “Fake” on his social media platform, X.
Fake
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 18, 2025
Musk’s denial casts significant doubt on the likelihood of any actual agreement progressing, given the Optimus robot remains in active development.
The Optimus prototype was first unveiled by Tesla in 2022, following Musk’s announcement in 2021 to expand the company beyond electric vehicles. A second generation, showcasing performance improvements, was demonstrated in late 2023.
Despite Musk emphasizing Optimus as “fundamental for the future of Tesla,” the robot’s expansion has reportedly faced delays. The CEO recently clarified that the machine’s latest design iteration is version 2.5, not the third generation referenced in PharmAGRI’s alleged plans.