Musk Foundation funded far-right activist's Moscow trip
A trip to Moscow by British far-right activist Tommy Robinson, funded by Elon Musk’s private foundation and accompanied by the billionaire's father, highlights Russia's ongoing efforts to destabilise European democracies by courting extremist figures.
Elon Musk’s private philanthropic organisation funded a recent trip to Moscow by the British far-right activist Tommy Robinson. The journey was organised and confirmed by Musk’s father, Errol Musk, who accompanied Robinson as the activist broadcast calls for anti-migration protests in Britain from a luxury Moscow hotel.
Errol Musk said the Musk Foundation, founded by Elon and Kimbal Musk, covered the travel costs. During their time in Moscow, the pair held meetings with Russian business figures, discussing the country’s efforts to reverse a decline in birth rates. The elder Musk also travelled to St Petersburg to attend an annual Kremlin-backed economic forum.
The visit underscores a systematic Russian effort to cultivate relationships with European far-right figures as part of a broader strategy to fracture Western political cohesion. British police seized Robinson’s phones upon his return from Russia. During the same period, the influencer Andrew Tate and his brother were in Russia posting footage of themselves firing weapons in the apparent company of the Russian military.
A pattern of European destabilisation
Stephan Lewandowsky, a professor at the University of Bristol who studies misinformation, said the visits occur within the context of a Russian hybrid war against the West. "Part of that means he will recruit anyone to undermine western democracy from within, whether that is Robinson, the Tates or others involved in more conventional politics," Lewandowsky said. "There is a pragmatic reason for the Russians to be making links like this."
This alignment extends beyond individual influencers. Earlier this year, Mark Collett, the founder of the British far-right group Patriotic Alternative, addressed a summit of European ultra-nationalists convened in Russia by an oligarch with close ties to Vladimir Putin. Lewandowsky noted that alongside pragmatic political advantages, there is "clearly examples of ideological alignment to the extent that we are talking about ultra-nationalist birds of a feather."
Errol Musk’s role provides a direct financial link between the political fringes and one of the world’s most prominent tech families. A self-described Russophile who once met Putin, Musk holds pro-Russian views on the invasion of Ukraine and has previously claimed Russia possesses a "genetic advantage" over the West. He defended Robinson as "a fine young man" who is "very hotheaded, but at the same time, he’s learning." Robinson himself praised the "beauty of a civilised society" after his visit.
