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Bill Gates Says What We're All Thinking About Elon Musk's Politics In NSFW Takedown

Bill Gates; Elon Musk
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Netflix; Saul Loeb-Pool/Getty Images

Bill Gates dropped an S-bomb in an interview with The Times of London when discussing Elon Musk's meddling in foreign politics, including supporting Germany's far right AfD party.

After twice flashing a very familiar "hail victory" salute—or "sieg heil" in the original German—during a President Donald Trump inauguration event, South African immigrant Elon Musk found himself facing a lot of backlash from across the globe.

Now one of his fellow billionaires has spoken out about Musk’s influence—or interference—in global politics. Musk’s far-right fascist-leaning political views prompted Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to get profane in his response.


Même les milliardaires ont des éclairs de lucidité.

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— Olivier Tesquet (@oliviertesquet.bsky.social) January 27, 2025 at 12:44 PM

Gates addressed Musk in an interview with The Times of London, saying:

"You want to promote the right wing, but say Nigel Farage is not right wing enough…"
"I mean, this is insane sh*t."
"You are for the AfD [far-right Alternative for Germany Party]."
He frequently failed at school, so how did the ‘weirdo’ teenager Bill Gates go on to found Microsoft and become a billionaire by 31? He talks to @alicettimes.bsky.social about his memoir, Source Code. 🔗 Read the full interview: www.thetimes.com/life-style/c...

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— The Times & Sunday Times (@thetimes.com) January 25, 2025 at 8:08 AM

Gates had been asked if he regretted not being as involved in politics as Musk.

He responded:

"Not at all. I thought the rules of the game were you picked a finite number of things to spout about that you cared for, focused on a few critical things, rather than telling people who they should vote for…"
"For me it’s only ever about aid. I did think Brexit was a mistake, but I wasn’t tweeting every day.”

Gates took exception to Musk's meddling and misinformation.

Bill Gates calls Elon Musk’s embrace of far-right politicians abroad ‘insane shit’

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— The Guardian (@theguardian.com) January 27, 2025 at 12:38 PM

He stated:

"It’s really insane that he can destabilize the political situations in countries.
"I think in the US foreigners aren’t allowed to give money; other countries maybe should adopt safeguards to make sure super-rich foreigners aren’t distorting their elections."
"It’s difficult to understand why someone who has a car factory in both China and in Germany, whose rocket business is ultra-dependent on relationships with sovereign nations and who is busy cutting $2 trillion in US government expenses and running five companies, is obsessing about [a] grooming story in the UK."
"I’m like, what?"
“It’s really insane that he can destabilize the political situations in countries,” Gates told The Times of London. “I think in the US foreigners aren’t allowed to give money; other countries maybe should adopt safeguards to make sure super-rich foreigners aren’t distorting their elections.”

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— BremainInSpain (@bremaininspain.com) January 27, 2025 at 11:36 AM

When asked if Musk was an embarrassment, Gates replied:

"We can all overreach…"
"...they should think how they can help out. But [Musk’s politics] is populist stirring."

The retired CEO—who now focuses on philanthropy through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation—added:

"The whole political situation with polarization is very dangerous. Certainly, if you think through my lens of ‘Let’s help the poor countries,’ there is a lot going on."
"Our problem is an aging society, tight budgets and a right wing inward turning, with hatred of all foreigners, and hence refusing aid to them even if they’re not in your own country. We’re in a challenging situation."

People concurred with much of what Gates said.

Well, he's not wrong.
— Tuomio (@doomwinter.bsky.social) January 27, 2025 at 12:46 PM


#Musk ist dumb, an Nazi and dangerous to liberal, democrtatic societies
— S.B. (@samueldb.bsky.social) January 27, 2025 at 1:33 AM


Why do people listen to this Apartheid-loving Yarpie? The ONLY thing he’s got going for him is that he’s got a lot of money - although not as much as Putin, who has twice as much! The world should treat him no different than they would a mentally unwell person barking at the Moon! He’s Nothing!
— scot-free.bsky.social (@scot-free.bsky.social) January 27, 2025 at 1:43 AM


Bill Gates calling out Elon Musk for destabilizing politics? Finally, someone with real clout saying what needs to be said. Billionaires meddling in global politics with zero accountability is a dangerous game. Gates isn’t perfect, but at least he’s aware of the stakes. #ElonExposed
— JodyUNPLUGGED (@jpe1974.bsky.social) January 27, 2025 at 8:33 AM


Elon Musk has backed Germany's radical right-wing AfD party at its latest rally, telling attendees that there's too much 'guilt' over the 'sins' of their 'great grandparents'.

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— 𝑀𝒶𝓎𝓇𝒶°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:・🫧🦋 (@lepapillonblue.bsky.social) January 25, 2025 at 8:40 PM

Images of Musk raising his fists as he spoke remotely during the Alternative for Germany (AfD) general election campaign launch in Germany on Saturday are making the rounds on social media.

So Elon Musk did a Nazi salute. Then he tried to deflect. Now he's gone to Germany to speak to the neo-Nazi AfD party, which he's endorsed, saying that Germany should let go of historical guilt -- which is a dog whistle for Holocaust denial. So Elon Musk is, in fact, a Nazi.
— Tristan Snell (@tristansnell.bsky.social) January 26, 2025 at 3:35 PM


Musk speaking to the far right German party, the AfD, today. Best picture angle, ever! 😂

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— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan.bsky.social) January 25, 2025 at 3:23 PM


you think elon musk is a nazi for doing the nazi salute? next you’ll tell me he’s a nazi for speaking at a rally for AfD, the modern german nazi party 😂
— onion person (@junlper.beer) January 25, 2025 at 5:21 PM


This photo of Musk speaking at the AfD rally has a very interesting composition. That photographer had to know what he was doing. 🤣

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— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@calltoactivism.bsky.social) January 25, 2025 at 5:12 PM


Looking more like a Nazi salute as the days go by
— T. M. Shannon 🏳️🌈 (he/him) (@tmshannonauthor.com) January 27, 2025 at 1:31 AM


That’s because it was a nazi salute.
— Mjay (@mjay2000.bsky.social) January 27, 2025 at 3:08 AM

Musk’s address to the crowd is drawing criticism.

During his virtual speech, Musk said—in a clear reference to Germany's Nazi past and his own South African apartheid roots—that:

"...children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great-grandparents."
"...we focus too much on the guilt of the past, and we need to overcome that."

Musk spoke about restoring a "Great Germany" and preserving the purity of German culture and a pure German nation instead of losing it to "some sort of multiculturalism" that "dilutes everything."

Many found Musk's comments an echo of calls for Aryan purity.

Of course his comments went too far. South Africans have no role to play in German democracy - no matter how much money they have or how loud their tantrums are.
— Wirral (@w1rral.bsky.social) January 27, 2025 at 1:36 AM


'Even some of Trump’s camp said his comments went too far'. Sometimes, I feel like I've woken up in an episode of The Twighlight Zone (or Black Mirror for the less aged).
— Neil Campbell (@neils-0n-wheels.bsky.social) January 27, 2025 at 2:06 AM


Musk the disruptor is seriously overstepping his knowledge and influence in countries other than the US. Leaving X would reduce the size of his mouth. Please forward this to anyone who is still using his toxic app and reading his Xcretions.

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— i-had-a-dream.bsky.social (@i-had-a-dream.bsky.social) January 27, 2025 at 5:31 AM

Musk has called the AfD the "last hope for Germany" and has been using his platform to promote it.

The AfD is Eurosceptic—opposed to increasing the powers of the European Union (EU)—and opposes immigration into Germany, especially by Muslims. Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the BfV, classified the AfB as a "suspected extremist" organization.

The group also supports and promotes a "remigration" plan for deporting immigrants, which could include naturalized German citizens.

Those goals sound very, very familiar.

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