Elon Musk turns on Reform leader in furious three-word bust-up | UK | News
Elon Musk has accused Nigel Farage of extraordinary public lying after the Reform UK leader claimed the tech billionaire had turned down his money, which the world’s richest man publicly denied.
The dispute emerged after Farage spoke to The Sun’s editor-in-chief Harry Cole, insisting he could not be “bought” by anyone and revealing he had rejected a financial offer from former ally Musk in exchange for publicly supporting certain policies. Responding on his own social media platform X, Musk simply wrote: “Farage is lying.”
The Express contacted Farage via Reform UK for comment.
What is the Nigel Farage donations inquiry about?
The Clacton MP is currently under investigation by Parliament’s Standards Commissioner over a £5 million payment he received in 2024 from Thailand-based billionaire Christopher Harborne, shortly before his unexpected return to British politics. Parliament’s Standards Commissioner is currently reviewing whether the “unconditional gift” was handled properly.
The cryptocurrency investor poured £12 million into Reform’s coffers, making him the party’s biggest donor. The Conservatives argued the payment contravened strict parliamentary rules requiring gifts and donations received within 12 months of entering the House of Commons to be declared.
Farage insists the sum he says was used to fund his personal security was entirely above the norm and that he has the documents to prove it.
What did Nigel Farage say about the inquiry?
Farage was defiant. “I am extremely confident. I have good lawyers, good accountants. I have done nothing wrong in any way. We are completely confident,” he said.
Asked about the investigation into Sun’s Never Mind the Ballots, he added: “They can’t nobody buy me.”
He also claimed his constituents in Clacton were unimpressed by the debate, saying: “Nobody cares. They care whether you’re a crook, which I’m not and never have been. But the fact that I’ve made a few quid doing things doesn’t worry those people at all.”
It draws parallels with Farage’s time as a member of the European Parliament in Brussels and facing five separate fraud investigations. “They lasted for years. Listen, I’m not worried about it one bit,” he said.
Explaining the nature of his payment, Harborne told Cole: “It’s very unusual for someone to sacrifice 27 years of their life to campaign for something. And it was given to me unconditionally, completely unconditionally. But obviously it was given to me as a reward for 27 years of campaigning for Brexit.”
He insisted the gift had nothing to do with his decision to return to front-line politics.
What did Farage say about Elon Musk’s money?
The Reform leader used the interview to make a sharp claim about his former ally, claiming Musk was trying to use financial incentives to influence his public statements. “I can’t be bought by anyone. No, no one. Even Elon Musk… wanted to give us a lot of money if I said some things publicly, and I refused,” he said.
He added: “I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. That’s why I turned on Elon Musk, but that shows you that I’m my own man, I make my own mind.”
Musk’s two-word rebuttal about X – “Farage is lying” – left little room for ambiguity about how he views the billionaire’s history with the Reform leader.
What else did Farage say about his finances?
Farage has been unapologetic about his overall finances, stating that he has given up on Parliamentary spending altogether while brushing aside questions about the £2 million of foreign earnings he has amassed since winning his House of Commons seat.
He said Clacton voters simply told him: “Good luck to you, mate.”
