A months-old online petition calling for the revocation of Elon Musk’s US citizenship has resurfaced and is gaining fresh attention with more than 6,532 signatures recorded on Change.org.
The petition was launched by John Visci, who argues that the billionaire tech mogul’s growing political influence poses a threat to the balance of power in the US.
“I, along with countless other concerned American citizens, feel deeply distressed by the increasing influence of corporate leaders in our political landscape,” Visci wrote. “We specifically point to Elon Musk, a naturalised US citizen from South Africa, who we feel has exerted an imbalanced and potentially corrupting influence.”
Visci said while Musk’s entrepreneurial achievements were widely acknowledged, “his continual meddling in political affairs is disturbing the balance of power in the US”.
“According to the New York Times, Musk’s net worth has surged to $254.7bn [R4.36-trillion), making him the wealthiest person in the world. Such wealth could unduly influence political decisions. We thus call for the revocation of his naturalised US citizenship and his return to his home country, South Africa. Don’t let money influence our political decisions,” he said.
The renewed interest in the petition follows a June announcement by the US department of justice, which vowed to prioritise denaturalisation cases involving individuals who could threaten the country.
The department listed several categories of concern, including:
- people who had committed serious crimes;
- those who fraudulently obtained citizenshipl; and
- individuals posing national security risks, such as terrorism, espionage or the unlawful export of sensitive technology.
It also noted that it could exercise discretion in pursuing cases it deemed necessary.
Musk, who was born in Pretoria, emigrated to Canada as a teenager before relocating to the US for studies and work. He became a naturalised US citizen in 2002.
This is not the first time Musk’s citizenship has faced public pressure. In February, amid tensions between the Trump administration and Canada, a separate petition calling for the revocation of Musk’s Canadian citizenship amassed more than 376,994 signatures. That petition was addressed to the Canadian prime minister and launched on February 20 by a British Columbia author who accused Musk of acting against Canada’s national interests.
It claimed Musk had “used his wealth and power to influence our elections”, had aligned himself with “a foreign government that is attempting to erase Canadian sovereignty” and that his “attempts to attack Canadian sovereignty must be addressed”.
“We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the prime minister to revoke Elon Musk’s dual citizenship status and revoke his Canadian passport effective immediately,” the petition stated.
The call was endorsed by MP Charlie Angus of the New Democratic Party, who later announced he would not seek re-election.
Under Canadian law, citizenship can only be revoked if an individual committed fraud or knowingly misrepresented information during their citizenship process, criteria that do not apply to Musk who holds Canadian citizenship by descent through his Saskatchewan-born mother.
Since the petition’s launch, no action has been taken by the Canadian government.
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