Elon Musk has a message for anyone calling him racist or far-right: he's just for "the normal people." In a recent interview with The Economist's editor-in-chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes, the tech billionaire pushed back hard against those labels, framing his political views as mainstream common sense.
When asked about racism allegations, Musk went personal. "My partner is half Indian, and I have four children with her," he said. "One of them was named after a famous Indian physicist. So I would say I'm not racist." He was referring to Shivon Zilis, a Neuralink executive, and their son Strider Sekhar, whose middle name honors Nobel-winning astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. Musk also noted that his companies have senior executives "of all races," a nod to the diversity he says exists at the top of his organizations.
The interview came after years of Musk wading into European politics, often backing right-wing figures and parties. He's supported Germany's anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party, and an Associated Press analysis found his interactions on X, the social media platform he owns, have amplified hard-right voices. The analysis of over 20,000 posts from 11 accounts showed Musk's engagement sometimes boosted viewership between twofold and 40-fold.
Beddoes challenged Musk on his support for such movements, but he didn't budge. "No, I support the normal people," he said. "What you call the far right falsely is the normal person." He then asked which of his priorities — "secure borders," "safe cities," and "sensible spending" — could be considered extremist. "The characterization of the far right is false and misleading and nonsense," he added.
The controversy isn't limited to politics. Musk has also stirred the pot in entertainment, calling filmmaker Christopher Nolan "an anti-White racist" over the casting of Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy in "The Odyssey." He's since promoted plans for an AI-generated adaptation of the story.
On the question of whether he's anti-Muslim, Musk said he opposes admitting people whose views are "antithetical to Western beliefs." He elaborated: "I'm against rape and murder, and the imposition of rules and laws that are contrary to what we've come to accept in the West."
It's a classic Musk move: turn the criticism back on the critics and frame his positions as the reasonable middle ground. Whether that lands depends on who you ask, but he's clearly not backing down.
