MPs for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party have been making thousands of pounds from posts on the social media site owned by Elon Musk, X, new reports reveal.
The Reform UK leader, Lee Anderson and Rupert Lowe MP have all declared payments from the company in the most recent parliamentary register of interests, profitting from a programme set up by the US billionaire.
The revelation marks the latest development between the Reform UK leader and eccentric US billionaire, whose relationship recently took a very public turn for the worst.
The pair have been linked since Donald Trump secured his second term as US president, with Mr Musk becoming a close ally on the campaign trail. Statements from the three would indicate that their politics are all in alignment, but the reality has been far less simple.
Here’s everything you need to know about Elon Musk’s relationship with Nigel Farage:
Mr Musk first began showing an interest in the Reform UK leader in June 2024, nearly half a year before Donald Trump would win his second term as president.
Posting on X, the social media site he bought in 2022, the US billionaire responded to a video uploaded Mr Farage to ask: “Why does the media keep calling you far-right?”
The Reform leader promptly responded: “Because we believe in family, country and strong borders. Call me!”
After a few more reaffirming replies to Mr Farage’s content on X – he’s been known to post up to 150 times a day – it would appear Mr Musk’s call finally came as the pair met at Trump’s residency, Mar-a-Lago, in December.
“Britain Needs Reform,” Mr Farage captioned a picture of himself, Mr Musk and Reform UK treasurer Nick Candy stood in front of a portrait of a youthful-looking Trump. “Absolutely,” the US billionaire replied.
This was Mr Musk’s strongest endorsement yet of Reform. Paired with continuous attacks on the new ‘woke’ Labour government, his views on UK politics were laid bare. But it would be the next year when his involvement reached a new level.
Following Mr Musk’s meeting with Mr Farage, rumours began to swirl that the US tycoon – who is the world’s richest man – was looking to donate substantial sums to Reform.
This was later confirmed by the party leader, who told reporters he was in “open negotiations” with Mr Musk, and confirmed that the pair “did talk about money” at Trump’s Florida retreat.
“He wants to help us, he’s not opposed to the idea of giving us money, provided we can do it legally through UK companies,” he added. Media reports rumoured the amount floated to be $100 million, although Mr Farage shot this figure down.
