From Tech to Politics: How Elon Musk Is Empowering Far Right Across the Globe

According to a report, Elon Musk is supporting right-wing political movements and policies in no less than 18 countries, stirring global politics.

What Happened: The NBC report indicates that Musk’s political activity in the past two years has been geared towards reducing immigration and curbing business regulation. His influence has been felt not only in the U.S. and Germany but also in an increasing number of other countries.

Musk’s online posts have displayed support for right-wing street protests in Brazil and Ireland, and he has shown agreement with a nationalist right-wing politician in the Netherlands, reports NBC News.  

His social media app X has complied with censorship requests from right-wing leaders in India and Turkey.

Manuela Caiani, an associate professor in political science at the Scuola Normale Superiore, suggests that Musk’s wealth gives him a voice in these movements, despite lacking the traditional legitimacy of an elected office. She cautions that this shift in political influence is perilous.

"Musk can play an important role as a broker. It is very dangerous that a nonpolitical actor now speaks with a sort of political legitimacy," she said. "He's changing the paradigm of politics," she said.

Also Read: Elon Musk’s Shocking Remarks To Far-Right German Party: ‘Too Much Focus on Past Guilt’

Musk’s advocacy encompasses nationalism or nativism, regardless of the country. Rodrigo Campos, a postdoctoral researcher in politics at the University of York, points out the irony in this, as Musk accumulated his wealth from transnational corporate capital.

Although his support varies by country, right-wing politicians and political movements benefit from Musk’s global fame as the CEO of Tesla Inc. TSLA and SpaceX, and his enormous following on X, where he has 217 million followers.

However, Musk’s private diplomacy has faced resistance from leaders in some countries who accuse him of improperly interfering in their domestic politics. French President Emmanuel Macron last month accused Musk of promoting a “new international reactionary movement.”

Why It Matters: This report sheds light on the increasing influence of tech billionaires in global politics. With their vast wealth and social media following, figures like Musk can sway political movements and policies across borders.

This shift in political influence, from traditional politicians to tech moguls, is a trend that is being closely watched by political scientists and the global community.

Read Next

Elon Musk Sparks Controversy With Hard-Right ‘Make Europe Great Again!' Post