In a plot twist worthy of a sitcom, someone has apparently asked the Russian government to grant Elon Musk political asylum. The kicker? Musk had absolutely nothing to do with it.
According to Russian media, the application was filed by the Novye Lyudi (New People) party, which is either deeply concerned for Musk’s well-being or just really eager to get their hands on a Tesla. Deputy Speaker of the Duma, Vladislav Davankov, confirmed that the Foreign Ministry is now giving the request a polite glance.
While no one has explained exactly why Musk might need asylum, Davankov offered some cryptic praise: “He’s made mistakes, but who hasn’t? We forgive easily—and besides, we love rockets.” Okay, maybe not an exact quote, but close enough—what Davankov really said was “His technologies and vision are very impressive.”
The Musk-Russia buzz comes after a recent exchange on X between Musk and Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s Security Council Vice Chair. Medvedev cheekily offered to broker a peace deal between Musk and Donald Trump in return for some Starlink stock. Musk replied with a laughing emoji, as one does in the age of digital diplomacy.
Adding fuel to the fire, Musk’s dad, Errol, popped over to Russia earlier this month for a ‘future’ forum. While there, he praised Moscow’s vibe and gave Elon a bit of fatherly tough love, saying Trump is the rightful president and Elon might have goofed by picking the wrong political battles.
As for Elon? Mum’s the word. He hasn’t commented on the whole ‘accidental asylum’ situation—he’s probably busy launching satellites, tweeting memes, or picking politicians to send to Mars.
In the meantime, the Russian government says they’ll get back to everyone in about a month. No word yet on whether a Kremlin-built Gigafactory is part of the package.
