At the Qatar Economic Forum, billionaire Elon Musk confronted journalist and moderator Mishal Husain over South Africa’s race-based licencing laws, accusing her of dodging a question on whether she supports what he called ‘racist laws.’
“I’m in this absurd situation where I was born in South Africa but cannot get a licence to operate Starlink because I’m not Black. Does that seem right to you?” Musk pointedly asked Husain during the on-stage conversation.
Husain initially responded, “It looks like that’s about to change,” referencing recent reports that the South African government is working to bypass licensing hurdles to allow Starlink’s entry.
But Musk wasn’t satisfied. “I just asked you a question. Please answer. Does that seem right to you?” he pressed.
Husain began to explain, “Those rules were designed to bring about an era of more economic equality in South Africa”
Musk cut her off again, saying, “Does that seem right to you? Yes or no?”
As Husain tried to redirect the discussion back to Musk’s role in government contracts and business practices, the billionaire refused to let the matter go. “I asked you a question. Yes or no? Racist laws, yes or no?”
Husain, remaining calm, said, “Not for me to answer. I have got a question for you”
However, Musk delivered the final jab, “You must like racist laws then. Why do you like racist laws?”
The conversations went viral online, with critics and supporters of both figures weighing in. Here’s how they reacted:
Tune In