Billionaire tech mogul and prominent anti-immigration advocate Elon Musk allegedly worked in the United States without legal permission during the early stages of his career, according to an investigation by The Washington Post. The report suggests Musk, who has recently aligned himself with former President Donald Trump's stance on immigration, entered the American tech landscape in the mid-1990s as an undocumented worker.

Musk, a native of Pretoria, South Africa, initially moved to the US on a student visa, enrolling in a graduate program at Stanford University in 1995. However, within days of arrival, he left the program to launch Zip2, a business directory software company that would later sell for nearly $300 million. Citing former business associates and court records, The Washington Post report indicates that Musk was not legally authorised to work in the US while building Zip2.

At the time, Musk's immigration status reportedly became a matter of concern for investors. Zip2's board member Derek Proudian, who would later serve as the company's CEO, recalled investors being hesitant about Musk's status, which was "not what it should be for them to be legally employed running a company in the US," Proudian told the Post. To secure an investment of $3 million from venture capital firm Mohr Davidow Ventures, Musk and his associates allegedly had to ensure they would regularise their immigration status within 45 days or risk losing the funding.

According to records reviewed by The Washington Post, Musk acknowledged the precariousness of his status in a 2005 email to Tesla co-founders Martin Eberhard and JB Straubel, where he noted that his Stanford enrolment served as a means of maintaining lawful residency while pursuing Zip2. Musk and his brother, Kimbal, who worked alongside him at Zip2, have both previously referred to themselves as "illegal immigrants" during this period.

Today, Musk is the world's wealthiest person, with an estimated net worth of $274.7 billion. Despite his early experience with US immigration hurdles, Musk has become one of the most visible critics of immigration policies, especially in the context of his social media activity. Musk's posts about immigration and related issues, often boosting claims of voter fraud and targeting undocumented migrants, have drawn significant engagement on X, formerly known as Twitter. Bloomberg reported that Musk has posted about immigration more than 1,300 times in 2024 alone, with a notable surge in posts leading up to the US election.

Musk has previously claimed to be "pro-immigrant," advocating for expanding US immigration opportunities for "hardworking" and "honest" individuals. His recent posts, however, suggest a much more stringent stance, often warning against policies he claims would lead to "permanent one-party rule."

Representatives for Musk and his lawyer, Alex Spiro, did not respond to requests for comments from The Washington Post on the matter, and Musk himself has not yet addressed the Post's report on X.