Official financial disclosures from Reform UK or public statements from Elon Musk

Elon Musk May Donate $100 Million to Farage's Reform UK, Raising Legal Questions and Tory Concerns

Dec 1, 2024, 11:00 AM

Rumors are circulating that Elon Musk is considering donating $100 million to Nigel Farage's Reform UK party to influence British politics and potentially propel Farage to become Prime Minister. Musk, who previously contributed $200 million to Donald Trump's campaign, is reportedly turning his attention to the UK, with speculation that he may leverage the British branch of X (formerly Twitter) to influence the political landscape. Conservative Party officials and businessmen believe there is a credible prospect of Musk making the donation as a "F*** you, Starmer" move to shake up UK politics, causing concern within the Conservative Party about fundraising and their position as a serious party. However, critics like Paul Mason point out that as a U.S. citizen, such a donation would be illegal under UK law, stating, "Good luck with that... he's a U.S. citizen... so it would be illegal." Former cabinet minister Steve Baker remarked that any such donation would be a "complete waste" of money, saying, "No amount of money is going to make Nigel Farage popular to the people he currently repels." The potential donation could significantly impact the UK's political landscape ahead of the next election.