Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has refuted recent reports alleging that he worked illegally in the United States during the 1990s while building his first startup, Zip2. The denial comes after President Joe Biden publicly criticized Musk over the claims during a campaign event in Pittsburgh on Saturday.
"I was in fact allowed to work in the U.S.," Musk stated on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Responding directly to Biden's remarks, he added, "The Biden puppet is lying."
.@potus on Elon Musk
“Elon Musk is the richest man in the world. He was supposed to be in a school when he came on a student visa. He was working. He was violating the law and he's talking about all these illegals.” pic.twitter.com/3ff2HAp8SM — Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) October 27, 2024
The controversy stems from a report by The Washington Post, which cited company documents, former business associates, and court records suggesting that Musk might have been in the country without proper work authorization in the mid-1990s. Musk, who arrived in Palo Alto, California, in 1995 to attend a graduate program at Stanford University, reportedly never enrolled and instead focused on developing Zip2, a software company that was later sold for around $300 million.
President Biden seized on the report during his speech at a union hall, saying, "That wealthiest man in the world turned out to be an illegal worker here. No, I'm serious. He was supposed to be in school when he came on a student visa. He wasn't in school. He was violating the law. And he's talking about all these illegals coming our way?"
Musk countered these allegations by explaining that he held a J-1 visa, which is typically granted for academic studies and exchange programs, and later transitioned to an H1-B visa for temporary employment. "I was on a J-1 visa that transitioned to an H1-B," he wrote on X.
According to The Washington Post, investors and board members at Zip2 were concerned about Musk's immigration status during the company's early days. One board member reportedly noted that Musk's status "was not what it should be" for him "to be legally employed running a company in the U.S." An investor also expressed worry that Musk could be deported if his visa issues were not resolved promptly.
The newspaper also referenced a 2005 email from Musk to his Tesla co-founders, in which he allegedly acknowledged lacking authorization to be in the U.S. when he started Zip2. The email, submitted as evidence in a now-closed California defamation lawsuit, reportedly stated that Musk had applied to Stanford "to try to stay in the country legally."
Immigration law experts quoted by the Post suggested that Musk would have needed to be enrolled in a full course of study to maintain valid work authorization under a student visa. Musk's assertion that he transitioned from a J-1 to an H1-B visa implies he was legally permitted to work during that period.
The dispute has gained additional attention due to Musk's recent political activities. Now a U.S. citizen since 2002 and the world's richest man, Musk has committed over $70 million to support Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and other GOP candidates in the upcoming November 5 election. He is scheduled to appear at a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City and has been echoing the former president's hardline rhetoric on immigration.
"He's talking about all these illegals coming our way?" Biden remarked, highlighting what he sees as hypocrisy in Musk's stance on immigration issues.
Trump, known for his stringent immigration policies during his previous term, has pledged to initiate the largest deportation effort in U.S. history if re-elected. He has also promised to offer Musk a role in his administration, further intertwining the tech mogul's fortunes with the political landscape.
The clash between Musk and Biden underscores the heightened tensions as the election approaches, with both candidates focusing on immigration as a key issue. Musk's support for Trump has drawn scrutiny, particularly in light of the allegations regarding his own immigration history.
As the situation unfolds, Musk remains firm in denying any wrongdoing. "I was legally there," he said in a 2020 podcast cited by The Washington Post. "I was allowed to do work sort of supporting whatever."
