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Elon Musk has described Reform as the UK’s “only hope” as he stepped up his public support for Nigel Farage’s party and urged Britons to vote for it.
The tycoon and close ally of Donald Trump is at the centre of rumours he is preparing to give the party up to $100m.
Before Christmas he met Mr Farage at the President elect’s Florida country club Mar-a-Lago, where the ex-Ukip leader said they discussed political tactics.
But in a new tweet he extolled the party, saying: “Vote Reform. It’s the only hope”.
Mr Farage has in the past criticised American political figures for their attempts at involvement in British politics.
He said that the then-president Barack Obama had “behaved disgracefully” by suggesting the UK would be “at the back of the queue” for a US trade deal if it voted for Brexit.
Mr Musk’s comment was in response to a social media post about the sexual exploitation of young girls by gangs in Rotherham.
It came just days after he stepped up his feud with Keir Starmer, by claiming that “very few” businesses want to invest in Britain under Labour.
The prime minister hit back, pointing to billions of pounds that have come into the UK since he took office.
Sir Keir previously clashed with Mr Musk in August when the billionaire claimed in a post on the X platform he owns that “civil war” was “inevitable” in Britain.
Mr Musk also hit out at the prime minister, calling him #twotierkeir, using the language of a right-wing conspiracy theory, which claims different types of protesters are treated differently by the police.
Were he to donate $100m to Reform UK the money would be by far the largest donation in British electoral history.
According to The Sunday Times, leading businessmen and Conservative Party officials believe that Mr Musk could hand over the cash as a “f*** you Starmer” payment.
Asked by ITV about the reports, Mr Musk denied he was planning to give $100m, but his response did not rule out a significant sum.
Asked if he was planning to give the upstart party what would amount to £80m, Mr Musk – who has been appointed by Mr Trump to lead a new government efficiency commission in the US – replied “No”.
Mr Farage has previously described Mr Musk as “very supportive”.
“He thinks that if Reform do well in the UK, we can bring about the same kind of change that he intends to do with Donald Trump in America,” the party leader said.
After the Florida meeting Mr Farage described the hour-long chat as “great”.
He and his new party Treasurer Nick Candy said money had not been mentioned but they had “learned a great deal about the Trump ground game” and would have “ongoing discussions” with Mr Musk.
They added: “We only have one more chance left to save the West and we can do great things together. Our thanks also to president Trump for allowing us to use Mar-a-Lago for this historic meeting. The special relationship is alive and well.”
In a picture shared on X of the meeting, the three men posed in front of a 1989 painting of Mr Trump called The Visionary (or The Entrepreneur).
American journalist Mark Bowden previously described it as of a “wide-shouldered, thin-hipped Donald, his youthful face eclipsing the sun itself, his skin glowing like the top floors of Trump Tower at sunset, the colour of warm bullion”.
Mr Musk is reported to have spent more than $250m (£197m) in his campaign to re-elect Mr Trump.
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