The tech billionaire met the far-right party leader at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort on Monday, as his campaign against the UK’s ruling party becomes increasingly personal.
ADVERTISEMENTNigel Farage said his party is in « open negotiations » with US tech billionaire Elon Musk over a substantial donation to his party, Reform UK.
Farage told the BBC the pair « did talk about money » during a meeting on Monday at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida alongside Reform UK’s new treasurer Nick Candy.
Farage said on Tuesday Musk “left us with no doubt that he is right behind us. »
“Inevitably, following such intense media speculation, the issue of money was discussed, and there will be ongoing negotiations on that score.”
His comments are the first time Farage has confirmed his party could receive a financial donation from Musk, the billionaire owner of Tesla and X and Trump’s close supporter. Previously, Farage said that although Musk was a supporter of Reform UK, he had never asked or been offered a donation.
Musk has expressed his support for Farage on X, as he wages an increasingly personal battle against British Prime Minister and Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer.
In August, Musk and Starmer became embroiled in a war of words after Musk suggested a « civil war was inevitable » following violent riots in the UK that were fuelled by misleading information online and anti-immigration sentiment.
Starmer’s spokesperson said there was « no justification » for his comments and added he believed social media companies should be doing more to combat misinformation on their platforms.
Last month, Musk reshared a post on X claiming that Reform UK would win the UK’s next general election with the words « yes ».
Farage was propelled into Parliament for the first time following July’s election, with his anti-immigration party Reform UK winning over four million votes. The party won 14.3% of the vote share, and gained five seats in the House of Commons.
The party would have to gain over 326 seats in Parliament to win the next general election.
Electoral laws in the UK stipulate that all donations and loans to political parties worth more than £500 (€604) should come from donors registered in the UK.
Musk, who is from South Africa and based in the US, could go through the UK arm of X to make a donation to the party.
Alternatively Musk’s father, Errol, told GB News that his son was « eligible for British citizenship » as his grandmother was from the UK.
« If the thing that’s stopping Farage from moving ahead is money, then he should get money so that he can move ahead » Errol said.
