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Elon Musk's foundation paid for UK's Tommy Robinson's trip to Russia, billionaire's father reveals

Billionaire Elon Musk's father claimed that the Tesla CEO's family foundation took far-right British activist Tommy Robinson to Russia.

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 British far-right activist Tommy Robinson speaks during a rally in Parliament Square after the final leg of the “March to Leave” in London, Friday, March 29, 2019. File Image / AP
British far-right activist Tommy Robinson speaks during a rally in Parliament Square after the final leg of the “March to Leave” in London, Friday, March 29, 2019. File Image / AP
FP News Desk|Jul 12, 2026, 06:51:31 IST

Billionaire Elon Musk's father claimed that the Tesla CEO's family foundation took far-right British activist Tommy Robinson to Russia. Last month, Robinson, who has been encouraging anti-immigration protests in the UK, was seen in Moscow.

From Russia, he issued a call to his supporters to take to the streets following a knife attack in Belfast. He shared a video of himself from a luxurious Moscow hotel with Musk's father, who has also been Robinson's supporter.

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“I brought him out to Russia,” Musk’s father, Errol, told the Guardian, adding that both men had held meetings with Russian business figures during the visit. He mentioned that all the expenses of the trip were covered by the Musk Foundation, a private philanthropic organisation founded by Elon Musk and his brother Kimbal Musk.

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It is pertinent to note that Robinson's visit to Moscow came at a time when Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime and its proxies have been forging ties with Europe's far-right figures. Not only this, but Russia was also hosting Andrew Tate, the self-styled misogynistic influencer, and his brother, who posted footage of themselves firing weapons and riding in a tank in the apparent company of the Russian military.

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UK police remain alert

Meanwhile, the authorities in the United Kingdom stopped and seized Robinson's phones as he returned from a trip to Russia. It is pertinent to note that Robinson had previously visited Russia several years ago. However, this time he appeared more explicit in his praise of the country.

He shared footage of Russian ultra-nationalists holding a rally in memory of the murdered British teenager Henry Nowak. Meanwhile, Errol Musk, who also went to St Petersburg for an annual Kremlin-backed economic forum, said that Robinson was “a fine young man”.

“He’s very hotheaded, but at the same time, he’s learning,” claimed the South African, who has travelled to Russia before and once met Putin. A Russophile who said he believed that Russia had a “genetic advantage” over the West, Errol Musk holds firmly pro-Russian positions on the conflict in Ukraine. He noted that the topics covered in the meeting alongside Robinson included Russia’s attempts to address a decline in births. “Tommy really got into these meetings," he said.

Musk senior maintained that he had become familiar with Robinson after the far-right activist was imprisoned. It is pertinent to note that Robinson has several convictions but sought the spotlight in particular after he was sent to prison for breaching a contempt of court order. “So I contacted Tommy; I was asked on British television once what I think of Tommy,” Errol Musk said. Overall, the visit indeed left the British authorities alarmed.

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First Published:Jul 12, 2026, 06:51:31 IST
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