Elon Musk, the richest person in the world, responded strongly after being left out of the UK’s International Investment Summit.
According to the BBC, Musk wasn’t invited due to some controversial comments he made on social media during last month’s riots in the UK. He expressed his frustration on X (formerly Twitter), saying he wouldn’t visit a country that releases criminals while punishing people for social media posts.
The UK government didn’t invite him to the summit, which aims to bring in billions of pounds from top investors, but didn’t officially comment on why he was excluded.
The BBC notes that Musk had attended last year’s AI Summit, where he spoke with then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, but this time, his presence was seen as risky because of his recent remarks.
During the riots in August, Musk shared, then deleted, a false story about the UK building “detainment camps” on the Falkland Islands, which led to strong criticism from UK officials. This, according to the BBC, is believed to be the reason for his exclusion from the event on 14 October.
Musk’s absence from the summit raises questions about how the UK balances the reputations of investors while still pursuing financial growth.
The BBC explains that the UK often seeks investment from countries with controversial human rights records, so Musk’s exclusion highlights the challenge of managing relationships with influential figures.
While Musk wasn’t invited, he is reportedly considering building another Tesla factory in Europe, possibly in the UK, although he previously chose Germany over the UK due to Brexit concerns.
Musk continues to attend similar events in other countries, such as a French investment summit, where he met with President Emmanuel Macron earlier this year.
The UK government is also working on a stricter Online Safety Act in response to misinformation during the August unrest, according to the BBC.
Musk’s ownership of X, where he allowed the return of far-right figures, has only added to the tensions surrounding his relationship with the UK.
Credit : BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c756d56d2dro