Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, was born during a period when apartheid was collapsing. Raised in the affluent, segregated suburbs of Pretoria, he was protected from the chaos that was moving through the rest of the country. In 1989, Musk left for Canada, missing out on South Africa’s transition from apartheid. Recently, he has criticized the country of his birth, including for what he tags its “openly racist laws.” In a related development, US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order stopping aid to the country. Musk is one of Trump’s closest advisers, and it is unknown how much influence he had on the order. Musk’s actions have led to debates that his current worldview and political leanings were shaped by his formative years in apartheid South Africa.
Source: The Guardian
