devxlogo

Elon Musk reignites feud with Humza Yousaf

Elon Musk reignites feud with Humza Yousaf

Why Trust Us
Musk Yousaf Feud

Elon Musk has reignited a long-standing feud with Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s former first minister. The billionaire, who owns X (formerly Twitter), called Mr. Yousaf a “racist scumbag,” claiming he “loathes white people.”

Mr. Yousaf responded by calling Mr. Musk a “dangerous race baiter” and “one of the most dangerous men on the planet.

The origins of the row trace back to the summer of 2020, during anti-racism protests following the murder of George Floyd. Mr. Yousaf, then Scotland’s Justice Secretary, delivered a speech to the Scottish Parliament highlighting issues of structural racism in Scotland.

He pointed out that he was often the only non-white person present in many high-ranking meetings. Right-wing accounts on social media widely shared an edited version of Mr. Yousaf’s speech, misrepresenting his comments and suggested he argued that there were too many white people in Scotland.  Mr. Musk later called Mr. Yousaf a “blatant racist” because of these comments.

Tensions flared again recently following far-right violence in cities across England and Northern Ireland. Mr. Musk criticized the UK authorities‘ handling of the disorder, suggesting “civil war is inevitable” and promoting conspiracy theories that far-right agitators were treated more harshly than minority groups.

In response, Mr. Yousaf accused Mr. Musk of using his wealth to amplify far-right and white supremacist ideologies.

After Mr. Yousaf made similar comments to CNN, Mr. Musk described him as “super, super racist” and said: “Scotland gave him everything, and yet he loathes white people.” The row further intensified when reports emerged that Mr.Yousaf could take legal action. His lawyer, Aamer Anwar, stated that Mr.

Musk reignites feud with Yousaf

Musk’s comments painted a target on Mr. Yousaf’s back with “completely unacceptable, untrue and inflammatory comments.” Mr. Musk responded by daring Mr.Yousaf to sue him, implying that legal discovery would reveal even worse communications from Mr. Yousaf in private. Neither Mr. Yousaf nor Mr. Musk have agreed to speak to the media about the issue.

Given Mr. Musk’s history of limiting media engagement and the automatic response from X’s media department, it appears likely that this war of words might continue on social media or potentially in a courtroom. Mr. Yousaf, while appearing at an event, said the tech billionaire had “amplified” white supremacists and “far-right neo-Nazi conspiracy theories.” He explained, “Mr.Musk is, in my view, one of the most dangerous men on the planet. He is not accountable to anybody. He has vast wealth at his fingertips and uses it for some of the most wicked evil I’ve seen.

Mr. Musk recently shared an image posted by Britain First co-leader Ashlea Simon, which purported to show a headline from the Daily Telegraph website, falsely claiming the Government was considering creating temporary detainment camps on the Falkland Islands for those arrested during the riots. The Telegraph quickly debunked the image, but not before Mr. Musk’s post was seen by hundreds of thousands of his followers.

Mr. Musk’s actions have increased calls for harsher punishments to be leveled at social media platforms and their managers for allowing harmful content to spread. The UK’s Online Safety Act, which passed into law last year but is yet to be enacted fully, could see the biggest platforms facing billions of pounds in fines if they do not comply with the new rules, with criminal liability for named managers a possibility in some instances, as is the potential for sites to have their access limited in the most severe cases.

Disclosure
devxblackblue

About Our Editorial Process

At DevX, we’re dedicated to tech entrepreneurship. Our team closely follows industry shifts, new products, AI breakthroughs, technology trends, and funding announcements. Articles undergo thorough editing to ensure accuracy and clarity, reflecting DevX’s style and supporting entrepreneurs in the tech sphere.

See our full editorial policy.

About Our Journalist

Cameron Wiggins

Cameron is a highly regarded contributor in the rapidly evolving fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. His articles delve into the theoretical underpinnings of AI, the practical applications of machine learning across industries, ethical considerations of autonomous systems, and the societal impacts of these disruptive technologies.
View Author
Show More