Elon Musk fired back at Britain on Thursday after reports surfaced that he had not been invited to the country’s upcoming investment summit. Musk criticised the UK government for releasing convicted criminals while allegedly imprisoning people for social media posts, referencing overcrowded prisons and recent riots in the country.
Musk’s Response To Exclusion From Investment Summit
Musk’s comments came after the BBC reported that the U.S. billionaire had not been invited to the investment summit scheduled for next month. The exclusion followed controversy over his posts on X, his social media platform, about the violent anti-immigration riots in Britain last month.
In response to the BBC report, Musk posted on X, saying, “I don’t think anyone should go to the UK when they’re releasing convicted paedophiles in order to imprison people for social media posts.” Musk’s statement likely referred to the UK government’s recent move to release over 1,700 prisoners early to ease overcrowding in English and Welsh prisons. However, sex offenders were explicitly excluded from this release program.
Controversial Comments And Government Response
Musk had previously faced criticism in the UK for his posts in August, which claimed civil war in Britain was “inevitable.” These comments came amid far-right riots targeting hotels housing asylum seekers and attacks on mosques. More than 1,000 people were arrested, and some individuals were jailed for inciting racial hatred on social media. At the time, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned Musk’s remarks, stating there was “no justification” for such comments.
UK Investment Summit And Musk’s Previous Engagements
The investment summit, which will take place next month, aims to attract global tech and financial leaders, including executives from BNY Mellon and Blackstone, to boost the UK economy. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government, in power since July, is working to secure international investment. While Musk is notably absent from the list of attendees, he has attended similar events in other countries, including the “Choose France” summit in May, where he met French President Emmanuel Macron. Musk was last seen in London in November 2022, when he attended the AI Safety Summit and was interviewed by former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
(With inputs from Reuters)
