Kim Kardashian denies payment for robot photo shoot

In recent weeks, Kim Kardashian participated in a futuristic photo shoot featuring Elon Musk's $30,000 Tesla robot, known as the Tesla Optimus Robot. The event caught significant public attention as Kardashian interacted with the robot in a playful manner, asking it to wave and form a heart shape with its hands. This interaction, coupled with Kardashian's large social media following, provided a platform for the robot to gain visibility. Despite the lighthearted nature of the photo shoot, speculation arose regarding whether Kardashian was financially compensated for her promotion of the robot. Her representative confirmed to the New York Times that she did not receive payment for the posts made to her 359 million Instagram followers. However, given that Kardashian has faced scrutiny in the past related to undisclosed payments for endorsements, the credibility of this claim was met with skepticism. In October 2022, Kardashian was ordered by the Securities and Exchange Commission to pay $1.26 million in penalties for failing to disclose payment when promoting a cryptocurrency on social media. The previous controversy likely heightened public scrutiny and speculation surrounding her latest endorsement activities. Kardashian has historically expressed an affinity for Musk’s products, having previously posted about a Tesla Cybertruck she owns. Overall, this photo shoot served as both a marketing opportunity for the Tesla robot and an occasion for Kardashian to address her critics regarding the nature of her social media promotions.