Elon Musk gave his support to Reform UK and spoke this Monday with Nigel Farage, the leader of the populist party. According to the British press, he would like to make a significant donation to the party, estimated at nearly 95 million euros.
A few weeks before joining Donald Trump’s government, Elon Musk has his sights set on Great Britain. The British media have been speculating for several weeks about the interest of the founder of Space X and Tesla on the political scene across the Channel. This Tuesday, our colleagues from Telegraph go even further by claiming that the richest man in the world is ready to finance Nigel Farage, leader of the British far-right Reform UK party, with “the biggest donation in British political history”.
According to the daily, the two men met on Monday at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump’s residence in Florida, and questions relating to “money was discussed”, according to Nigel Farage. The former MEP claimed that Elon Musk “left no doubt that he is behind us” and that he started “negotiations” about a financial contribution from the billionaire. A sum of up to 100 million dollars (around 95 million euros) is advanced, unheard of in Great Britain.
Exchange on Elon Musk’s electoral tactics
The two men appeared publicly on X, the American’s social network, this Tuesday. To Nigel Farage’s comment: ‘Britain needs reforms’accompanied by a photo of the two men, Elon Musk responded with a short response: “absolutely”. A third man appears in the photo: Nick Candy, a London property tycoon and former Conservative donor, who became a Reform UK supporter by becoming party treasurer and promising to report “tens of millions of pounds”.
Nigel Farage, the leader of the anti-immigration party which makes Labor and British Conservatives shudder, claimed to have discussed the electoral tactics used by Elon Musk in Pennsylvania during Donald Trump’s campaign. The tycoon had controversially distributed money via a lottery to registered voters.
“I went home with copious notes on how they increased turnout, voter registration and so much more, continued Nigel Farage to the Telegraphalso specifying having met the future American vice-president, JD Vance. It’s also heartening to listen to Elon (Musk) speak so thoughtfully about British politics. He considers that the motherland of the English-speaking world is in great difficulty.
“Tyrannical police state”
On his various platforms, Elon Musk has never hidden his lack of appetite for Keir Starmer’s Labor government, and has accused the latter of attacking freedom of expression by leading a “Tyrannical police state”. During the riots that shook Britain in August, he also claimed that “civil war is inevitable”arousing the wrath of local authorities. According to the Telegraphthe Space X founder is reportedly concerned about a UK online safety law, which requires social media companies to regulate their content.
As an American citizen, Elon Musk cannot legally donate to a British political party, but could do so through one of these companies, like previous record, a donation of 10 million pounds (around 12 million euros) made by David Sainsbury to the Conservative Party in 2023.
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