Salman Rushdie, the British-Indian author, expressed his strong disapproval of billionaire Elon Musk during an interview at the Hay Festival in Cartagena, Colombia. The 77-year-old writer openly stated that he is not a fan of Musk and shared his desire for the Tesla and SpaceX CEO to be the first person to travel to Mars. 

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Rushdie was responding to a question about freedom of speech and Musk’s stance on the matter, particularly in relation to his social media platform. The author argued that Musk’s actions contradict the notion of free expression, claiming that the platform curates discourse aligned with the extreme-right. "What you really do is the opposite [of defending free expression]. It’s very dishonest,” Rushdie remarked. “I’m not a fan of Mr. Musk. And I would love for him to be the first man on Mars,” he added.

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When the interviewer suggested that Musk should stay on Mars, Rushdie agreed, affirming his desire for the billionaire to leave Earth. He also recalled a meeting with Musk a decade ago, where the SpaceX founder had predicted a seven-year timeline to reach Mars. Rushdie expressed his frustration, stating, “Seven years have already passed, and I really want him to leave.”

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Anti-immigration sentiment

The conversation also touched on the rise of anti-immigration sentiment in Western countries. Rushdie, who migrated from India to the UK and then to the US, reflected on the weakening support for values such as tolerance and empathy. He stated that migration had always contributed positively to culture and reminded the interviewer that, aside from Native Americans, everyone in the US is a migrant. “Isn’t the United States a nation of immigrants? Apart from Native Americans, everyone is a migrant,” Rushdie noted, pointing out that even Musk is originally from South Africa.

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Rushdie’s comments came in the context of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, which Musk has supported. The author also briefly referenced the attack he survived in August 2022, revealing that he had recently appeared in court for the ongoing trial, where he showed his blind right eye.