Is Elon Musk Jewish? Tesla CEO visits site of Auschwitz death camp

Tesla CEO Elon Musk visited the Auschwitz death camp following criticism of X, formerly Twitter, over handling antisemitic posts and his recent apology for endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, visited the Auschwitz death camp amid ongoing scrutiny of X, formerly Twitter, for its approach to antisemitic posts. Musk’s visit comes weeks after apologizing for supporting an antisemitic conspiracy theory and facing criticism for X’s handling of such content.

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Is Elon Musk Jewish?

Elon Musk is not Jewish. He was born to a Canadian mother and a South African father. His background is primarily of Pennsylvania Dutch (German) and British ancestry. Musk was raised in South Africa before moving to Canada and then the United States. There’s no public information suggesting that he practices Judaism or has Jewish heritage.

Prominent Jewish leaders had urged Musk to witness the Holocaust’s symbolic site, with a focus on combating online antisemitism. During the private visit, Musk laid a wreath, participated in a memorial service, and addressed antisemitism at the European Jewish Association’s conference.

The controversy surrounding Musk, who claims he’s “aspirationally Jewish”,  escalated after his endorsement of an antisemitic post led major advertisers like Apple, Disney, and IBM to pause ads on X. Musk accused advertisers of attempting to “blackmail” him, emphasizing his disdain for their actions.

In November, Musk faced accusations of antisemitism when he agreed with an X post making false claims about Jewish communities. The White House condemned his post, prompting Musk to label it a mistake and one of the “most foolish” things he had done on the platform.

Musk, who took over X in October 2022, has defended his record in combating online hate. Despite this, he faces ongoing challenges, including a lawsuit against non-profit Media Matters for alleging antisemitic posts on the platform.

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During today’s conference in Krakow, political figures and Musk will discuss rising antisemitism in Europe. Musk’s Auschwitz visit aligns with efforts to raise Holocaust awareness and combat antisemitism on the platform he oversees.