Elon Musk's family foundation took Tommy Robinson to Russia, says Musk's father

Elon Musk's family foundation financed a trip to Russia for British far-right activist Tommy Robinson, according to Elon's father, Errol Musk, who accompanied Robinson in Moscow. Errol Musk told The Guardian that both men held meetings with Russian business figures and that the costs were covered by the Musk Foundation, a philanthropic organization founded by Elon and Kimbal Musk.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, appeared in Moscow last month and called on supporters to take to the streets following a knife attack in Belfast. He posted a video from a luxury Moscow hotel with Errol Musk. Robinson had visited Russia years earlier, but this time he was more explicit in his praise, sharing footage of Russian ultra-nationalists rallying in memory of murdered British teenager Henry Nowak.

Upon his return to Britain, police stopped and seized Robinson's phones. Meanwhile, Russia also hosted Andrew Tate and his brother, who posted footage of themselves firing weapons and riding a tank, apparently with the Russian military.

Errol Musk, who also attended the Kremlin-backed economic forum in St. Petersburg, described Robinson as "a fine young man" who is "hotheaded but learning." A self-proclaimed Russophile, Errol Musk believes Russia has a "genetic advantage" over the West and holds pro-Russian views on the Ukraine conflict. The meetings covered topics including Russia's efforts to address a declining birth rate.

Professor Stephan Lewandowsky of the University of Bristol said the visits by Robinson and Tate are part of Putin's hybrid war against the West. "It means he will recruit anyone to undermine Western democracy from within, and there is a pragmatic reason — it is to Russia's political advantage," he said.

The Guardian previously reported that Mark Collett, leader of the British far-right group Patriotic Alternative, spoke at a summit in St. Petersburg convened by an oligarch linked to Putin.