World’s richest man Elon Musk’s reputation in the US political circles may have dimmed following his public fallout with President Donald Trump days after his exit from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), but the billionaire entrepreneur remains a dominant force on X, the microblogging social media platform he bought in 2022. Analysts say a repost or a reply from Musk can rapidly elevate European hard-right figures, driving mass followership and exposure. Here is how Musk appears to have wielded his inffluence to back hard-right figures in Europe.
‘Every Alarm Bell Needs to Ring’
Expressing concerns about Musk’s influence on democratic systems, Christel Schaldemose, vice president of the European Parliament, told the Associated Press, “Every alarm bell needs to ring.” Her remarks come amid widespread concerns in Europe that foreign meddling is no longer limited to nation-states, but now includes billionaire influencers in the US.
Power Amplified: Follower Growth & Viral Reach
An AP analysis of 11 European hard-right figures showed that Musk’s interactions helped these accounts collectively gain around five million followers since October 2022. On days Musk interacted, daily views reportedly surged two to four times, and in some cases by 30 or 40 times, the report said.
Examples include Germany’s Alice Weidel, whose viewership jumped from 230,000 to over 2.2 million after Elon Musk engaged with her posts, which also coincided with AfD’s best electoral performance yet. Additionally, Italian far-right leader Matteo Salvini, the report said, saw four-fold view increases on days Musk tagged or reposted him.
Notable Cases Show Intent & Impact
According to the report, Naomi Seibt, climate-skeptic influencer, tagged Musk nearly 600 times before he responded in June 2024. Since then, her follower count has reportedly grown by over 320,000. Her posts averaged 2.6 times more views when Musk engaged.
Fidias Panayiotou, a Cypriot influencer-turned-politician, went viral after Musk hugged him (by request) and later endorsed him, saying, “Vote for Fidias… He is smart, super high energy and genuinely cares about you!”
The post attracted 11.5 million views, the report said.
Why This Matters
Musk’s amplification effect isn’t limited to fringe voices: his endorsements, experts say, seemingly have the potential to shape political lifelines.
Analysts worry that European political ecosystems are being disrupted as nationalist and populist figures gain traction, and that unchecked influence from non-state actors like Musk is shifting the balance of political power and fomenting polarisation.
