Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk downplayed and appeared to make joke about his past 'illegal' status in the United States after President Joe Biden spoke about how the richest man in the world was 'violating the law' back in 1990s.
"So NOW he cares about illegals," Musk posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), which he himself owns. The post contains a video of President Biden taking on Musk.
The Washington Post published a report on October 26 saying that Musk briefly worked illegally when he arrived in the US on student visa in the year 1995. Musk came to the US to study at Stanford University, but did not enrol and got busy in setting-up a start-up named Zip2. The Washington Post, citing legal experts, said that in order to be allowed to work as a student, Musk needed to have enrolled in the university. The news outlet said Musk did not enrol.
The startup he was involved in was sold for 300 million USD in 1999.
Musk, who has openly endorsed former US president Donald Trump in his re-election bid in upcoming US Presidential Election 2024, has a strong stand on illegal immigration. But following Washington Post's report, the billionaire has received flak for what appeared to be double standards.
As he campaigned for Trump in a rally in Pennsylvania recently, Musk batted for "common sense immigration...quick & easy legal immigration for honest, hardworking, talented people,"
He even claimed that it was "literally easier for a serial killer to get into America than a Nobel Prize winner."
Elon Musk and his brother Kimbal have in past joked about their status when they arrived in the US. In an interview quoted by The Times of India, Kimbal flatly said, "We were illegal immigrants.”
