Bill Gates criticizes Nazi-like Elon Musk for supporting the German far-right: "madness"
Microsoft co-founder calls on governments to take measures "to ensure that the super-rich do not influence their elections"
247 - Billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, harshly criticized Nazi-like Elon Musk for his support of the far-right German party Alternative for Germany (AfD). In an interview with the British newspaper The Sunday Times, according to the newspaper... The GlobeGates called the move "madness" and urged governments to take measures "to ensure that the super-rich do not influence their elections."
Gates' statement reignites the debate about the role of billionaires in global politics and its consequences. "He wants to promote the right, but says Nigel Farage isn't right-wing enough. It's crazy, he's in favor of the AfD," said Gates, referring to the tycoon who has also expressed support for populist movements in the United States. For Gates, Musk's stance represents "populist agitation" that destabilizes democracies.
Billionaire Elon Musk has intensified his outreach to far-right parties in Europe, declaring his support for the AfD during a rally at Halle Messe in Germany last Saturday. Via video conference, Musk praised the party and encouraged its supporters to fight for "more self-determination for Germany and less Brussels," in a direct criticism of the European Union.
"It's good to be proud to be German. Fight for a bright future for Germany," Musk told an audience of about 4,5 people, according to AfD data. In his speech, the tycoon highlighted the historical role of Germanic tribes and accused the current government of "aggressively suppressing freedom of expression."
Musk's support comes amid the rise of the AfD in the polls for the February 2025 general election, with the party reaching 20% of voting intentions, behind only the conservative CDU/CSU alliance, which leads with 30%.
Global interference - In addition to his comments in Germany, Musk has used his social media platform X to amplify far-right rhetoric in other European countries, such as France and Italy. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who shares similar views, is one of the few European leaders who has welcomed the billionaire positively.
However, Musk did not hold back in his criticism of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whom he called an "incompetent imbecile," and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whom he described as a "tyrant." These statements generated negative reactions from European leaders, who see Musk's remarks as unnecessary and dangerous interference in the continent's internal affairs.
