Public statements from Elon Musk or official filings

Elon Musk Escalates Feud with Thierry Breton, Criticizes EU Regulations and TikTok Investigation

Jan 11, 2025, 01:33 PM

Elon Musk has escalated a public dispute with Thierry Breton, the former EU digital commissioner, by calling him a "tyrant of Europe" on the social media platform X. This exchange follows Breton's criticism of Musk's support for the far-right German political party AfD in December and his accusations of foreign interference in European politics. Breton dismissed Musk's comments as "fake news" and defended the EU's regulatory actions. The conflict intensified after Breton suggested in a recent interview that EU laws must be enforced to prevent circumvention, referencing actions taken during elections in Romania. Musk, a vocal critic of EU digital regulations, has accused Brussels of censorship and faces potential fines of up to 6% of his global revenue for alleged violations of the Digital Services Act. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, has aligned with Musk's stance on EU regulations. Additionally, the EU has launched an investigation into TikTok for potential manipulation in Romanian elections.