Tech mogul Elon Musk has found himself on the receiving end of a spectacular verbal assault from UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, in a fiery social media exchange that has set the internet ablaze.
The spat ignited when Musk, the billionaire owner of X (formerly Twitter), publicly questioned the ongoing Western financial and military support for Ukraine, suggesting the strategy was flawed. The comments did not sit well with one of the UK's most senior ministers.
In a response that was both swift and brutal, Shapps eviscerated Musk's position. The Defence Secretary didn't mince his words, labelling the SpaceX founder's intervention as deeply unhelpful and fundamentally misguided.
'Utterly foolish remarks,' Shapps fired back across the social media platform Musk himself owns. The minister's retort highlighted the critical role Musk's own companies have played in the conflict, specifically pointing to the vital Starlink satellite internet system provided by SpaceX.
Shapps's core argument was one of stark irony: that Musk was criticising the very support he has directly profited from, given the lucrative contracts funding Starlink's services in Ukraine. The Defence Secretary's message was clear – this was a case of biting the hand that feeds you.
The very public dressing-down has been met with widespread applause online, with many commentators and users praising Shapps for his no-nonsense approach. The incident underscores the increasingly complex relationship between global tech giants and international geopolitics, where billionaire entrepreneurs can suddenly find themselves in the diplomatic crossfire.
