Elon Musk posted about race and immigration in the UK on his social media network X twice as often as he did about SpaceX, which he also owns, in the run-up to the aerospace and AI company’s initial public offering, a Guardian analysis has found.
Analysis of Musk’s X Activity
The Guardian examined Musk’s posts, replies and reposts between 31 May and 12 June, a period of heightened tension in the UK following the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa for the murder of teenager Henry Nowak, which led to claims of “anti-white” policing and far-right protests. Violent riots also erupted in Belfast, Northern Ireland, after a knife attack.
During this time, Musk posted 303 times about race and immigration, with almost three-quarters related to UK politics. In contrast, he posted just 114 times about SpaceX, which went public on 12 June, making him the world’s first trillionaire.
Musk’s Focus on UK Politics
Despite SpaceX’s IPO being one of the biggest moments in his business career, Musk’s attention was heavily on UK affairs. On the night before the IPO, he reposted video of Rupert Lowe, leader of the far-right Restore Britain party, calling for the deportation of migrants who cannot support themselves. This was one of nearly a dozen Musk posts that day on UK immigration and politics.
In a series of posts, he pondered “multiculturalism” and the perfidy of the West. When asked why he spends his days in a culture war instead of enjoying his billions, Musk replied: “Nothing else matters if civilization falls.”
Musk also focused on the Nowak trial, posting up to five times in 10 minutes on the subject, highlighting details of Nowak’s death and reposting accounts from the US, France and Japan. At least 20 of these posts were viewed 10 million times.
Government and Expert Reactions
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused Musk of trying to incite division. “Musk again has been interfering in our politics in the last few days, trying to whip up division. That is not who we are in Britain,” Starmer said.
Dr Michael Vaughan, a research fellow at the London School of Economics, said Musk’s wealth and entanglement with far-right figures made him a distortional presence in democratic politics. “From Musk, we have seen a language of encouragement and legitimisation. People who were in organisations that otherwise might have had a fringe status have suddenly acquired a status and legitimacy,” he said.
A report by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate found that replies to Musk’s posts after the Belfast knife attack contained 240 calls for violence. It also found that Musk’s amplification of Lowe and Robinson contributed 64 million views to their posts.
Musk’s Support for Far-Right Figures
Musk has also lent support to Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, including appearing in a live stream at the rightwing activist’s Unite the Kingdom rally in 2025. At the rally, Musk said: “Whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die.” The British government condemned his words.
The Guardian also analysed Musk’s activity during other periods of UK protests and found that fewer than 7% of his posts were about UK race and immigration during the 2024 summer riots, compared with 31% between 31 May and 12 June.
