Elon Musk posted twice as often on UK race and immigration as about SpaceX in IPO run-up

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 of Musk’s posts, replies and reposts between 31 May and 12 June has shown the extent to which the social media activity of the world’s richest person, who lives primarily in the US, has focused on UK politics.The period was one of heightened tension and concern in the UK about online activity, particularly from rightwing social media accounts, after the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa for the murder of teenager Henry Nowak, which led to claims of “anti-white” policing, and far-right protesters clashing with police. It also coincided with violent riots across Belfast in Northern Ireland, when protests erupted after a knife attack.While UK ministers were appealing for an end to the violence, in the US Musk was preparing for one of the biggest moments in his business career on 12 June. That was the day SpaceX, his social media, satellite internet and aerospace conglomerate went public, making him the world’s first trillionaire.Elon Musk speaking on a video link on the day of SpaceX’s IPO at Nasdaq in New York on 12 June. Photograph: Brendan McDermid/ReutersDespite this, Guardian analysis shows that Musk posted 303 times about race and immigration in the period leading up to SpaceX’s listing, almost three-quarters of which were related to UK politics. In comparison, he posted just 114 times about SpaceX (including replies and reposts), which began trading on the Nasdaq on 12 June.Analysis of Musk’s X feed shows how keen the South African-born businessman is to air his views on UK politics, often in ways which have not been welcomed by the British government or the prime minister, Keir Starmer.In the aftermath of Digwa’s sentencing, Starmer accused Musk of trying to incite division in UK society. He said: “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.“In Britain we are reasonable, tolerant people. When we have a terrible case like Henry’s case, Henry Nowak, we react calmly, as his family has done.”Musk’s focus on politics seemed more surprising because he as an individual is so key to SpaceX’s IPO plans and the company’s valuation.Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe campaigning in Makerfield during the recent byelection. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The GuardianThe firm earmarked an unusually large portion of its shares for non-professional, non-institutional investors, banking on Musk’s popularity to help the company raise $75bn (£56bn) – it actually raised $85.7bn. It organised events and a summer roadshow to raise funds.On X the night before the IPO, Musk’s focus did not appear to be on these potential buyers. Instead, he was reposting video of Rupert Lowe, the leader of the far-right Restore Britain party, calling for the UK to deport migrants who cannot financially support themselves. This was just one of nearly a dozen Musk posts that day on UK immigration and politics. In a series of other posts, he pondered “multiculturalism” and the perfidy of the west more generally.In one, he responded to an account questioning why “the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, spends his days in a culture war instead of enjoying his billions on a beach”. In response, Musk wrote: “Nothing else matters if civilization falls.”At times, Musk focused on the Nowak trial – posting up to five times in 10 minutes on the subject, as well as UK politics. He highlighted details of Nowak’s death and reposted accounts from the US, France and Japan that discussed the case. At least 20 of these posts were viewed 10m times.Musk has also lent support to Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson, including appearing in a live stream at the rightwing activist’s Unite the Kingdom rally in 2025.Musk was condemned by the British government after the rally, over his choice of words. “Whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die,” he said.Elon Musk addresses the crowd at the Unite the Kingdom rally in London last year organised by the rightwing activist Tommy Robinson. Photograph: Grant Rooney Premium/AlamyMusk’s focus on UK politics as well as race and immigration issues has become stronger over the past two years. The Guardian also analysed his tweets, replies and reposts during other notable periods of protests in the country.It found that fewer than 7% of his posts were about UK race and immigration politics during the 2024 summer riots, compared with 31% of his tweets between 31 May and 12 June, coinciding with the protests in Southampton, where Nowak was murdered, and Belfast.Dr Michael Vaughan, a research fellow at the International Inequalities Institute at the London School of Economics, said the scale of Musk’s wealth and entanglement with far-right figures made him a distortional presence in democratic politics.“Musk has become increasingly important in European politics in recent years at a time when his wealth has increased in hugely exponential terms,” he said.“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 that makes it harder to discount their relevancy.”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 and replies to Lowe and Robinson contributed 64m views to their posts – more than they generated from their own followings.