Elon Musk’s Instagram account – which, according to an archived version, had more than 8 million followers – has vanished amid a bizarre story unfolding between him, the singer Grimes, and the rapper Azealia Banks.

On August 12, Banks said on Instagram that she had been at Musk’s house and seen singer Grimes (real name Claire Boucher) “coddling” Musk. She then told Business Insider that she saw him in the kitchen “scrounging for investors” after tweeting that Tesla had “funding secured.”

On Monday, Banks tagged Musk in her Instagram story, writing “you need to contact me. ASAP” followed by “I need my phone back now.”

Elon Musk Instagram

Foto: Musk's Instagram page on Tuesday. source Elon Musk/Instagram/Business Insider

In a deleted Instagram story, documented by Cheddar journalist Hope King, Banks claimed that Musk's attorney paid off Banks' attorney to take her phone and delete evidence from it.

A spokesman for Musk said: "Elon doesn't know Azealia Banks. He doesn't have her phone and neither do his lawyers."

In direct messages over Instagram with Business Insider, Banks declined to elaborate on the incident involving her phone.

Musk and his girlfriend, Grimes, recently unfollowed each other on Instagram, and Musk unfollowed Grimes on Twitter, prompting rumors that their relationship may be over.