Elon Musk posted 303 times about race and immigration in the period leading up to SpaceX’s listing on the Nasdaq on 12 June. Photograph: Isaac Wasserman/NCAA Photos/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Elon Musk posted 303 times about race and immigration in the period leading up to SpaceX’s listing on the Nasdaq on 12 June. Photograph: Isaac Wasserman/NCAA Photos/Getty Images Elon Musk posted twice as often on UK race and immigration as about SpaceX in IPO run-up Guardian analysis of X feed shows how keen world’s richest person was to air his views and ‘interfere’ in British politics
Prefer the Guardian on Google 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 .
View image in fullscreen 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/Reuters Despite 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.
View image in fullscreen Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe campaigning in Makerfield during the recent byelection. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian The 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 ni…