Trolling the UK: the issues enraging Elon Musk, world’s richest ‘pub bore’

Unprompted outbursts on X suggest the Tesla boss is hellbent on making life awkward for Keir Starmer

While Keir Starmer was trying to enjoy a family holiday in Madeira over the new year, Elon Musk was trying to spoil it. The world’s richest man has been using X to lob insults and slurs in the direction of the prime minister, while teasing the prospect of donating tens of millions of dollars to the Reform UK party.

This potentially gamechanging money has meant his comments – which have been compared to those of a “pub bore” by some users on his own social media platform – have provoked (arguably unmerited) political reaction and media debate. So what issues have been enraging Musk?

Topics

‘Don’t feed the troll’: German chancellor responds to Elon Musk comments

World’s richest man has been voicing support for Germany’s far-right AfD party while insulting its current leaders . When the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, was asked in an interview about the ...
The Guardian - 1h
German chancellor on Musk: ‘Don’t feed the troll’

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz shared his approach to dealing with tech mogul Elon Musk who lately has traded barbs with German politicians, saying it is wise to not “feed the troll.” “There are a ...
The Hill - 16h
The real-estate holdings of 5 of the world’s richest men

These men have amassed an incredible array of real estate holdings, spending some of their enormous fortunes on swanky homes across the U.S.—and beyond.
MarketWatch - 22h
Elon Musk Trolls Britain and Defends Tommy Robinson in Flurry of Social Media Posts

In a barrage of posts rife with misinformation, he revived questions about a child sex abuse scandal, vilified the prime minister and defended a jailed far-right agitator.
The New York Times - 1d
UK minister knocks Musk: 'Focus on issues on the other side of the Atlantic'

British public health minister Andrew Gwynne urged Elon Musk to stay out of foreign politics after the tech giant repeatedly criticized the United Kingdom’s governing party in a series of posts on ...
The Hill - 1d
Nigel Farage ‘very pleased’ Elon Musk backs Reform UK, calling him a ‘hero’

Speaking at party conference, its leader calls reports of tech mogul’s potential $100m donation ‘somewhat overexaggerated’. Nigel Farage has hailed Elon Musk as a “hero” and said he was “very ...
The Guardian - 1d
UK businesses issued with record fines for filing accounts late

Companies continue to struggle with rising costs and higher interest rates in the aftermath of the pandemic
Financial Times - 2d
Bernie Sanders: ‘Elon Musk is wrong’ on guest workers

Politico - 2d
Elon Musk comments on Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is commenting on what he believes caused a Cybertruck to explode outside the Trump Towers in Las Vegas. This comes as more details emerge about the man who apparently rented the ...
CBS News - 2d

More from The Guardian

Ukraine launches surprise operation in Kursk region, according to reports

Footage purports to show Ukrainian armoured columns advancing towards village of Bolshoe Soldatskoe. Ukrainian armed forces have begun a surprise offensive in Russia’s Kursk region, according to ...
The Guardian - 1h
Antibiotic emergency ‘could claim 40 million lives in next 25 years’

As superbugs spread across the globe, death rates from antimicrobial resistance are set to double, says England’s former chief medical officer. Dame Sally Davies has a straightforward message about ...
The Guardian - 2h
‘Don’t feed the troll’: German chancellor responds to Elon Musk comments

World’s richest man has been voicing support for Germany’s far-right AfD party while insulting its current leaders . When the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, was asked in an interview about the ...
The Guardian - 1h
Giorgia Meloni meets Donald Trump in flying visit to Mar-a-Lago

US president-elect praises Italian prime minister at Florida resort for ‘really taking Europe by storm’. Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, made a flying visit to Donald Trump’s Florida golf ...
The Guardian - 1h
Hamas releases video it says is of Israeli hostage held in Gaza since 2023 attack

Family of now 19-year-old conscript Liri Albag appeals to PM to ‘take decisions as if it were your own children there’. The armed wing of Hamas has released a video it says is of an Israeli hostage ...
The Guardian - 19h