1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
In focus
Los Angeles wildfiresClimate changeGerman election 2025
Latest audioLatest videos
Live TV
Elon Musk
Image: Alain Jocard/AFPImage: Alain Jocard/AFP

Elon Musk

The owner of Tesla, SpaceX and the social media site formally known as Twitter invested millions into the 2024 presidential campaign of Donald Trump. Now he seems to have set his sights on politics in Germany and Europe.

Skip next section All Content on this topic

All Content on this topic

Elon Musk holds a disposable coffee cup in the Capitol building

As Musk pushes AfD, German officials consider ditching X

As the billionaire trolls officials and backs extremists, the government faces calls to quit his social media site.
PoliticsJanuary 11, 2025
Adolf Hitler pictured with Gregor Strasser in an undated photo

Fact check: AfD head called Hitler 'communist.' He was not

In a talk with Elon Musk, AfD leader Alice Weidel claimed that Adolf Hitler was a communist. Historians disagree.
PoliticsJanuary 11, 2025
Image of Musk and Weidel on a phone announcing the livestream held in January 2025.

EU regulators take a hard look at Elon Musk and X

Musk and X could face fines should EU investigators find that he manipulated the site's algorithm to influence voters.
PoliticsJanuary 10, 2025
Laptop open at X.com with photos of AfD leader Alice Weidel and owner Elon Musk

German institutions depart X, a day after Musk's Weidel talk

More than 60 German and Austrian academic organizations say they will leave the messaging platform X owned by Elon Musk.
PoliticsJanuary 10, 2025
Teaser Berlin Briefing NEU

Main takeaways from Musk and Weidel's X talk

From Hitler to Mars - what was the chat between X owner Elon Musk and the far-right AfD's leader Alice Weidel all about?
PoliticsJanuary 10, 202542:47 min
Teaser Berlin Briefing NEU

Main takeaways from Musk and Weidel's X talk

From Hitler to Mars - what was the chat between X owner Elon Musk and the far-right AfD's leader Alice Weidel all about?
PoliticsJanuary 10, 202544:31 min
A view of a laptop showing a X feed with the Musk/Weidel discussion

Fact check: Do Musk and Weidel's claims hold up?

During a live talk on X, Elon Musk and the AfD's Alice Weidel made some strong political claims. What do the facts say?
PoliticsJanuary 10, 2025
Alice Weidel is pictured in her office before a virtual talk event

Elon Musk praises Alice Weidel's far-right AfD in X chat

Pundits say the conversation with billionaire Elon Musk may not have necessarily helped the AfD's chancellor candidate.
PoliticsJanuary 10, 2025
A mobile phone showing a live chat between Elon Musk and Alice Weidel

Musk hosts X talk with German far-right leader Weidel

Two experts assess the "wide-ranging" live talk between Elon Musk and Alice Weidel of Germany's AfD party.
PoliticsJanuary 9, 202509:01 min
DW Podcast | Inside Europe | provisorisch f ROAD

Inside Europe 9 January 2025

Trump eyes up Greenland and Musk courts the AfD, Iran releases Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, Herbert Kickl tries to form a government in Austria, and Jean-Marie Le Pen dies in France. We also mark the 20th anniversary of one of Germany's most notorious deaths in custody, and delve into the marvellous secrets of a Spanish cork forrest.
PoliticsJanuary 9, 202555:00 min
Composite image of tech billionaire Elon Musk (L) wearing a black MAGA hat and Alice Weidel (R) of Germany's far-right AfD party

Officials fear Musk will try to tip German election to AfD

The billionaire is using his X platform to showcase Alice Weidel, the leader of the nationalist Alternative for Germany.
PoliticsJanuary 9, 202502:17 min
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni with Elon Musk after receiving the 'Global Citizen Award 2024' from the Atlantic Council at the Ziefeld Ballroom of New York

Elon Musk's Starlink talks with Italy raise concerns

Reports that Elon Musk's SpaceX is in advanced negotiations with the Italian government have raised eyebrows.
BusinessJanuary 9, 2025
Manfred Weber speaks into a DW microphone

AfD support puts Musk 'on the wrong side of history'

EU conservative bloc leader Manfred Weber told DW it's not in Elon Musk's business interests to back the far right.
PoliticsJanuary 8, 202506:55 min
Elon Musk in the US Capitol building on December 5, 2024

European leaders decry Elon Musk's meddling

Germany has said that Musk's attempts to influence the German election are futile.
PoliticsJanuary 6, 2025
JD Vance in front of Donald Trump, standing next to an American flag

Fact check: JD Vance is wrong about AfD, Nazis

Is the far-right AfD most successful in parts of Germany that previously resisted the Nazis? No — and here's why.
PoliticsJanuary 5, 2025
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks at the opening of a Tesla-Gigafactory in the presence of Elon Musk in 2022

Germany: Scholz uneasy over Musk's support for far-right AfD

Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck also warned Germans to not underestimate Elon Musk's influence ahead of the snap election.
PoliticsJanuary 4, 2025
Elon Musck in front of a flag background

Musk's 'undignified' insults irritate German politicians

German politicians have criticized Elon Musk's aggressive support for the far-right AfD ahead of the general election.
PoliticsJanuary 2, 2025
Tesla Cybertruck in flames in front of Trump Hotel

Las Vegas blast: Police believe Tesla driver shot himself

At least one person died after a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside a hotel belonging to Donald Trump.
SocietyJanuary 2, 2025
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier

Elon Musk insults German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier

Tesla boss Elon Musk adds German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to the list of politicians he has insulted.
PoliticsDecember 31, 2024
Elon Musk embraces Republican President-elect President Donald Trump

Germany says Elon Musk seeking to sway February election

The X owner and Donald Trump ally has declared his support for the far-right AfD.
PoliticsDecember 30, 2024
Elon Musk

German election: Why Elon Musk promotes the far-right AfD

Elon Musk's election appeal for the nationalist Alternative for Germany party set off a storm of criticism in Germany.
PoliticsDecember 30, 2024
Tech billionaire Elon Musk attends a forum on fighting antisemitism in Krakow, Poland

German chancellor candidate Merz slams Musk over AfD stance

Conservative leader Friedrich Merz hit back at Elon Musk, decrying his interference as "intrusive and pretentious."
PoliticsDecember 29, 2024
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, left, and US President-elect Donald Trump attend a campaign event together in October

Trump sides with Musk in right-wing visa debate

US President-elect Donald Trump told the New York Post that he had "always" supported the H-1B visa program.
PoliticsDecember 29, 2024
Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends a news conference at the carmaker's production site in Grünheide, Germany

Elon Musk backs far-right AfD in controversial German op-ed

German authorities class the AfD as far-right extremist and say it endangers democracy. The US billionaire disagrees.
PoliticsDecember 28, 2024
Shift

2024: The year Generative AI became a problem

Fake images and scam calls: 2024 showed that Generative AI presents us with huge challenges. What can we do about it?
Digital WorldDecember 27, 202404:50 min
Elon Musk at a Republican polticial rally in the United States

German politicians criticize Musk backing for far-right AfD

After Elon Musk posted his support for Germany's far-right AfD, the party's leader Alice Weidel expressed her gratitude.
PoliticsDecember 20, 2024
A blurry images of people waiting in line for a security check at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

What does a US government shutdown actually mean?

The US is facing another big government shutdown right before Christmas. What will happen and who is impacted?
BusinessDecember 20, 2024
US president-elect Donald Trump

US: Trump spending deal fails, shutdown on the cards

The House has rejected Trump's temporary plan to fund federal operations and avoid a looming government shutdown.
PoliticsDecember 19, 2024
Mike Johnson (l) and Donald Trump (r)

US: Trump rejects spending bill, sparking possible shutdown

Temporary funding looked set to pass with bipartisan support until President-elect Donald Trump pulled the plug.
PoliticsDecember 19, 2024
Vanja Katic repairing an EV battery

EV battery repairs offer cheaper alternative to replacements

A failing EV battery can be expensive to replace, but can be repaired for a fraction of the price.
BusinessDecember 18, 202406:08 min
A Flixbus bus in India

Mobility as an economic factor — MADE

Global mobility: locally, with new drivers, with a repaired battery and under water.
BusinessDecember 17, 202426:04 min
A smartphone with the X logo on it sitting on a laptop

X: Holocaust remembrance organizations quit platform

Various Holocaust remembrance groups are leaving X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
CultureDecember 13, 2024
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attends a question time at Parliament House in Canberra

Australia PM says Musk pushing agenda after social media ban

Elon Musk last month said Australia's new law was a "backdoor way" to control "access to the internet."
PoliticsDecember 1, 2024
Elon Musk speaks at a lectern at a Trump election rally

How could Elon Musk profit from a role in Trump's cabinet?

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has vowed to boost government efficiency under Trump. Critics warn of a conflict of interest.
PoliticsNovember 27, 202402:57 min
Elon Musk embraces Donald Trump

Musk and Trump: Ethical concerns and conflicts of interest

Can Elon Musk avoid conflicts of interest if he's put in charge of cutting government spending by a couple of trillion?
BusinessNovember 20, 2024
A group of police — masked and armed — approach a tree house at the Tesla protest camp in Grünheide, outside Berlin

Germany: Police remove Tesla protesters from forest camp

Authorities say those protesting the US carmaker's expansion can return after the area is combed for WWII bombs.
BusinessNovember 19, 2024
Dokus KW 47 - Politik mit der Kettensäge - Argentinien ein Jahr unter Präsident Milei

Chainsaw politics: Argentina one year under President Milei

Is Javier Milei a savior or a destroyer? Argentinas society is more divided than ever before.
PoliticsNovember 18, 202428:34 min
A person holds a smartphone in their lap, looking at an image of AfD leader Alice Weidel

How will social media shape Germany's election campaign?

With a snap election slated for February 23, Germany is debating how social media should be used in the campaign.
PoliticsNovember 17, 2024
Elon Musk (left) and Amir Saeid Iravani

Iran denies its UN envoy met with Elon Musk

Iran's Foreign Ministry strongly denied reports of a meeting between tech billionaire Elon Musk and Iran's UN envoy.
ConflictsNovember 17, 2024
DW Fact checking Screenshots with abbreviated statements on the penalty order against Detlef Gürth

Fact Check: Musk's criticism of German judiciary unfounded

Musk commented on a fine imposed on German politician Detlef Gürth, who made disparaging remarks about migrants.
Law and JusticeNovember 15, 2024
Elon Musk, his fists raised in victory, shouting

Musk met Iran ambassador to defuse tensions: report

The New York Times has reported a meeting between Elon Musk and Iran's UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani.
PoliticsNovember 15, 2024
Picture shows the logo of social media platform Bluesky displayed on a mobile telephone

Bluesky surges as users seek social media alternatives to X

A massive user spike and a series of prominent departures from Elon Musk's X have benefited social media site Bluesky.
SocietyNovember 14, 2024
Trump & Elon Musk X.com Space

The Guardian newspaper quits 'toxic' X

UK daily The Guardian says it will stop posting from its "official editorial accounts" on the social media platform.
MediaNovember 13, 2024
SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk speaks at a town hall with Republican candidate U.S. Senate Dave McCormick at the Roxain Theater on October 20, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Elon Musk's grip on politics is stronger than ever

Elon Musk's support for Donald Trump has been rewarded with a potentially key appointment in the president elect's team.
PoliticsNovember 13, 2024
US President-elect Donald Trump

Trump rewards loyal allies with key roles, Musk included

The US president-elect made key appointments as he began filling important positions in his second administration.
PoliticsNovember 13, 2024
Environmental activists in Memphis, Tennessee

Elon Musk's AI factory causes controversy

Elon Musk wants to bring the most powerful AI onto the market. But there is opposition to xAI.
BusinessNovember 13, 202408:07 min
A jelly doughnut being decorated at the WorldSkills competition in Lyon

Labor market shortages — MADE

An edition dedicated to the world of work: from skilled labor to robots and ruthless entrepreneurs.
BusinessNovember 12, 202426:04 min
A picture of bitcoins shown before the Trump tower in New York

Trump hurls bitcoin to new records — will the rally endure?

The president-elect intentionally courted the bitcoin community. But can he make good on his promises?
BusinessNovember 12, 2024
US-Wahl 2024 | West Palm Beach | Republikanische Partei | Trump erscheint bei Wahlparty im Convention Center

Loyalists set to figure large in new Trump administration

Donald Trump has begun appointing loyal supporters to key positions in his administration. DW takes a closer look.
PoliticsNovember 12, 202402:40 min
Gold coins with the Bitcoin logo to represent the cryptocurrency

Why has bitcoin reached a new high?

Ever since Donald Trump won last week's election, Bitcoin has been going through the roof.
BusinessNovember 11, 202402:01 min