According to a representative, Kim Kardashian did not receive financial compensation for her recent photo shoot with Tesla’s $30,000 Optimus Robot.
Speaking to The New York Times, the publicist for the reality TV star and entrepreneur confirmed that Kardashian’s posts about the robot, shared with her 359 million Instagram followers, were not financially incentivised.
Kardashian, 44, has a well-documented association with Tesla and its founder, Elon Musk. The two have been spotted together at various social events, and Kardashian has previously showcased her Tesla Cybertruck on social media.
Earlier this month, the Kardashians star shared videos featuring the Tesla Optimus Robot, playfully interacting with it by asking if it could wave, form a heart with its hands, and even suggesting they go for a run.
The lighthearted posts quickly became the subject of online humour, with users joking that Kardashian had found a “new low-maintenance boyfriend.” In response, Kardashian embraced the jokes, posing in a steamy photo shoot while interlocking hands with the gold robot.
Despite the publicist’s denial of payment for these posts, The New York Times expressed scepticism, citing Kardashian’s previous run-in with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In October 2022, Kardashian was fined $1.26 million for failing to disclose that she had been paid to promote a cryptocurrency on social media.
While Kardashian’s representative reiterated that the posts involving the Tesla robot were not sponsored, a spokesperson for her Skkn by Kim brand declined to comment further when approached by Page Six.
The buzz around Kardashian’s interactions with Tesla’s latest innovation underscores her influence as a significant social media personality while raising questions about transparency in influencer promotions.
