Bill Gates says he thinks it's 'insane' that Elon Musk is allowed to 'destabilize' politics in other countries
Sean Gallup via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
- Bill Gates says that Elon Musk shouldn't be weighing on foreign politics.
- In recent weeks, Musk commented on politics in Europe, including the German elections.
- Gates said Musk should not be telling people who to vote for.
Bill Gates doesn't like how Elon Musk has involved himself in the politics of foreign countries like the UK and Germany.
"It's really insane that he can destabilize the political situations in countries," Gates said in an interview with the UK's The Times newspaper published Saturday.
Musk has become increasingly vocal about his views on UK and German politics in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, Musk called for the removal of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The Tesla CEO accused Starmer of not doing enough to prevent the rape of girls when he was Britain's chief prosecutor from 2008 to 2013.
And on Saturday, Musk spoke virtually at a campaign rally for the Alternative for Germany, Germany's far-right party. Germany is set to hold national elections in February.
In December, Musk said in an op-ed for the Welt am Sonntag, a prominent German newspaper, that the AfD is "the last spark of hope for this country." Musk also praised the AfD for their "controlled immigration policy" in his op-ed.
"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," Gates told The Times.
Musk's political influence has increased significantly following President Donald Trump's victory in November. Musk spent at least $277 million backing Trump and other GOP candidates in last year's elections.
That bet has since paid off for Musk, who called himself Trump's "first buddy." The billionaire has joined Trump on calls with world leaders like Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
Musk is also leading Trump's new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. The commission has been tasked with reducing government spending and cutting excess regulations.
It is unclear if Musk has donated to foreign political parties. Last month, British politician Nigel Farage said that Musk was giving "serious thought" toward making a donation to his right-wing party, Reform UK.
Musk shouldn't be making such outspoken political declarations, Gates told The Times.
"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," Gates said.
"If someone is super-smart, and he is, they should think how they can help out. But this is populist stirring," Gates added.
Gates and Musk did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
To be sure, this isn't the first time Gates has disagreed with Musk.
In 2021, Gates told Kara Swisher on her "Sway" podcast that he wasn't interested in space travel. Musk is the founder and CEO of SpaceX, a rocket company.
"No, I'm not a Mars person. I know a lot of Mars people," Gates told Swisher.
"I don't think rockets are the solution. But maybe I'm missing something there," Gates said, adding that he would rather spend his money on vaccines than buy a ticket to space.