Elon Musk courts Europe's surging far right

LONDON — Lawmakers in the United Kingdom are wrestling with a decision to fast-track legislation aimed at preventing foreign interference in national elections after far-right leader Nigel Farage suggested that Elon Musk could donate to his once-fringe right-wing party, in the latest turn for the world’s richest man as he flexes his newfound political muscle.

LONDON — Lawmakers in the United Kingdom are wrestling with a decision to fast-track legislation aimed at preventing foreign interference in national elections after far-right leader Nigel Farage suggested that Elon Musk could donate to his once-fringe right-wing party, in the latest turn for the world’s richest man as he flexes his newfound political muscle.

What began as a tech mogul railing against political correctness in the U.S. has evolved into what appears to be a global campaign of support for far-right ideologies, forcing governments on both sides of the Atlantic to reckon with Musk’s growing political and cultural influence.

Last week, Farage told the BBC that his Reform UK party was in “ongoing negotiations” with Musk after the pair met at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

Musk, a South Africa-born U.S. citizen, is prohibited from making a personal donation to a British political party, but he could potentially contribute through the U.K. subsidiaries of his various companies, which reportedly made around £90 million in profits over the past two years.

“He wants to help us. He’s not opposed to the idea of giving us money, provided we can do it legally through U.K. companies,” Farage said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/elon-musk-europe-surging-far-right-rcna185145

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