From being a renowned businessman and problem solver to stepping into the realm of politics, the world's richest man, Elon Musk, has embarked on a significant journey since acquiring Twitter (X). He has utilized this platform to promote conspiracy theories, criticize leaders of allied nations, and take stances in European politics.
After supporting Donald Trump in the U.S. elections, Musk is now concentrating on reshaping the political narrative in multiple European countries. In the UK, he has demanded the removal of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and voiced his frustration at Brazil over X being scrutinized for misinformation.
Analysis by India Today's Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) team of Musk's X posts highlights his areas of focus in countries like Germany, the UK, and Brazil. Musk purchased Twitter in 2023, and by January 2024, his social media approach had shifted significantly. The analyzed posts span from January 1, 2023, to January 6, 2025.
Source: aajtak
From January 2023 to the present, the word 'Germany' has appeared 27 times in Musk’s X posts. In contrast, by the year 2009 when he joined Twitter, he had only mentioned the country nine times.
On January 9, Musk was slated to host a live session with AfD leader Alice Weidel on X. Last year, an investigative report revealed that Weidel's grandfather was a prominent Nazi judge, appointed by Adolf Hitler himself. Germany viewed Musk's statement as 'election interference', echoed by the French President Emmanuel Macron.
The United Kingdom
In the UK, Musk has concentrated on alleged grooming gangs linked to individuals of Pakistani descent. He accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of failing to take adequate action against criminals while serving as director of public prosecutions between 2008 and 2013. Musk also charged Starmer with 'deep collusion in gang rape for votes'.
Starmer dismissed these accusations as 'misinformation', stating, "Those spreading lies and misinformation far and wide have no regard for victims. They only care about themselves."
Since January 1, 2023, the term 'United Kingdom' has appeared 37 times in Musk's X posts. Previously, he never discussed rape on the platform. However, the words "rape" and "gang" have been used 17 and 11 times, respectively.
Also Read:
Brazil
In Brazil, the dispute has revolved around what can be posted on X, as the South American nation considered new approaches to combat online misinformation. Musk faced allegations of misinformation, resulting in a significant clash with the Brazilian government, culminating in a ban on X by September 2024.
Analysis of Musk's posts reveals how he instigated an online battle against Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who was given extensive powers to compel the social network to remove content deemed a threat to democracy.
Between January 1, 2023, and January 6, 2025, the word 'Brazil' appeared 64 times in Musk’s X posts. Previously, it only surfaced in six posts. The name 'Alexandre' appeared in 34 of his posts, linked to the judge Alexandre de Moraes. To disclose 'illicit directives issued to X by Alexandre de Moraes', Musk launched an X account under the name "@AlexandreFiles".
Also Read: Billionaires' Wealth: First Week of 2025… Money Pours for Elon Musk, Benefiting Mukesh Ambani Too
Musk's Approach
In defense of his international actions, Musk cites his dedication to family, emotional ties, democracy, and freedom of expression. Branding himself as an absolutist, the CEO of X, Tesla, and SpaceX doesn’t have a pristine track record on free speech. Recently, X suspended a UK journalist who published an article suggesting that an X account was secretly run by Musk himself.
In another instance, Musk insulted a student, referring to them with a derogatory term for mental disability, violating X's own rules, after being called "the biggest disseminator of misinformation in human history."
