Rumors are swirling that one of Elon Musk's brain chip patients has vanished under mysterious circumstances.

Whispers about the disappearance of Mike Melgarejo, known as 'Patient 4,' began after his social media accounts went dark and a GoFundMe appeared claiming he was 'not in a good place.'

Family friend Ryan Biggs launched the campaign, writing: '[Mike's] ready to give life up, people. Not an understatement.'

Melgarejo, a 44-year-old survey technician from San Diego, was diagnosed with ALS in 2022. It has been slowly robbing him of his ability to speak.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a fatal, incurable neurological disorder that gradually paralyzes patients. 

In February, he volunteered to have the Neuralink chip implanted in his brain. It wasn't a cure, but it allowed him to briefly become the first brain implant patient with a full-time job, completing basic tasks remotely using the power of his mind.

But since the GoFundMe account was launched in June, speculation over his whereabouts has spiraled, with some online sleuths alleging that his perceived 'disappearance' is linked to Neuralink. 

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, his wife, Dalila, has now broken her silence to reveal any claims of a conspiracy are nonsense.

She explained that the family had merely wanted to keep the heartbreaking decline in her husband's health private. But as the rumors began to affect them financially, she felt compelled to speak out.

'Our family is really going through something terrible. My husband is eventually gonna die within a year or two, and there's nothing that anybody can do to help him,' Dalila Melgarejo said.

'I don't know where all of this came from, or why there would be anybody saying anything or creating problems where there aren't, or making malicious accusations. I mean, the Neuralink system is very helpful. They've been kind.'

In a video on Substack - titled Where TF is Patient Four? - independent journalist and content creator Audrey Henson claimed it was unusual that Melgarejo was one of the only Neuralink patients not on social media.

Musk's company has set up several brain implant patients with X accounts, allowing them to share their experiences and progress with the public.

There have reportedly been 13 individuals who have received a Neuralink brain chip. 

But participation in the social media program is not mandatory, and the Daily Mail was told that Melgarejo deactivated his own X account before having the brain implant installed.

In her Substack post, Henson accused Neuralink of heavily promoting successful brain implant stories while burying news of their alleged failures.

She highlighted the allegedly suspicious contrast between Neuralink's June 2025 video showing Melgarejo thriving and the GoFundMe launched the same month portraying him as 'ready to give up on life.'

Henson suspected foul play, suggesting the fundraiser for Melgarejo's care could be hush money to sidestep FDA reporting of adverse side effects from using the Neuralink, claiming that Biggs had ties to insurance risk management.

But Dalila called his alleged 'disappearance' from social media a false story, adding that her husband chose to keep his ongoing struggles with ALS private, even declining to take part in future interviews hosted by Neuralink.

'Seeing a loved one go through what ALS does to someone's body, and having their mind intact, their brain is the only thing that does not stop functioning. The rest of their body does,' she told the Daily Mail.

'It's horrifying to me to see that, and how many times Michael has lain in bed crying, just sobbing over what he's going through, knowing that he's going to die at a very young age.'

However, the family went public with their struggles in late June after Melgarejo could no longer continue working to support his wife and son. 

'I also work,' Dalila said. 'Even having two incomes coming in with a child, it is just overwhelming at times, and he was not able to provide anymore. So we hit a very rough patch where we couldn't even pay our rent in July.'

Moreover, Melgarejo's friends have been desperately attempting to find a new home that would be more accessible for his wheelchair than the family's current second-floor apartment, which has made traveling to medical checkups nearly impossible. 

Biggs set up the GoFundMe account to help them through 2025. The first Neuralink patient, Noland Arbaugh, used his influence on social media to spark a wave of donations in just a few weeks.

But Melgarejo's wife feared the claims against Neuralink - that it was withholding information about the brain implant trials and may have even been keeping Melgarejo's health decline a secret - have crippled their fundraising efforts.

'If this is why people stop donating, I don't even have the words for it, because that was really helping us... If it has to do with this, then I'm very disappointed in these people,' she explained.

'What's happening to us, what's happening to Michael, is very real.'

The Daily Mail spoke with Henson regarding her investigation into Melgarejo and her claims that Neuralink has not been transparent about their ongoing brain procedures.

She said that the timing of a Neuralink patient update video, where Melgarejo revealed he was still working, and the post by Biggs mentioning Melgarejo being 'not in a good place,' caused her to suspect Musk's company was not being truthful.

'I stand behind this investigation. It was based on documentary evidence that warranted scrutiny,' Henson told the Daily Mail.

'We shouldn't need viral investigations to ask whether trial participants are adequately supported.'

Henson added that the alleged donation of $3,000 by Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis to Melgarejo's fundraiser also raised a conflict of interest under FDA regulations.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Neuralink for comment on all of the allegations, but has not received a reply.

Despite the allegations of potential wrongdoing by Neuralink, Dalila said the company has been in constant contact with her husband and checks on his condition and the implant every three months.

'They helped a lot with setting up his monitor, getting him comfortable, just really helping us with what we need. So, the company itself, the people, the employees that have been here, they've been a godsend,' she said.

Dalila added that their family has been extremely grateful for all the support they received, and hopes they will be able to move past the rumors that blindsided them this fall.

'People need to stop making stuff up. This is what happens. Sometimes when people make assumptions, they create something out of nothing.'