After advertising for AfD

Gates: Musk’s meddling in politics “completely insane”

The richest man in the world is currently openly campaigning for right-wing parties around the world - one of his main concerns is migration.(Bild: APA/AFP)

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has caused a stir in recent weeks with his campaign support for far-right parties in Europe. In particular, his advertising for the AfD, which is sometimes classified as right-wing extremist, has caused a stir. Microsoft founder Bill Gates has now sharply criticized the interference in Europe and described Musk's influence as "completely insane".

In an interview with the British "Sunday Times", Gates advises taking protective measures to prevent "super-rich foreigners" from distorting elections. The background to this is Musk's repeated political statements on his platform X (formerly Twitter).

Musk complained of "too much focus on past guilt"
His support for right-wing extremists in the UK and Germany in particular has been met with criticism. For example, Musk had called for the release of imprisoned British right-wing extremist Tommy Robinson - a position from which even Brexit hardliner Nigel Farage had distanced himself.

During the election campaign, Bill Gates supported Kamala Harris with donations. Now he is calling on Elon Musk to show moderation.(Bild: APA/AFP/John MACDOUGALL)

Musk also caused a stir in Germany when he intervened in the election campaign and openly backed the AfD. In a link-up to an election campaign event, he complained that there was allegedly "too much focus on past guilt" in Germany - a statement that sparked international outrage.

Gates: "Super smart" engages in "populist agitation"
Despite the massive criticism, Gates also had words of praise for Musk: "He's super-smart," he said, but added: "If someone is super-smart, and he is, he should think about how he can help." In his opinion, however, Musk is instead engaging in "populist agitation".

Musk could "destabilize" the political situation
The debate about Musk's political influence has become particularly explosive in the USA. After he sharply criticized the Democrats during the 2024 presidential election, he was appointed special advisor by Donald Trump - with the task of developing drastic austerity measures.

Whether and to what extent Musk's political influence will continue remains to be seen. But for Gates, one thing is certain: "It's really insane that he can destabilize the political situation in other countries."