Featured Image Credit: Chip Somodevilla / Staff / Getty
Elon Musk's Canadian citizenship has been called into question following a popular petition that calls to revoke it, as the richest man in the world has been at the heart of incendiary conversations surrounding America's close neighbor.
Canada as a country was key to who Elon Musk is today, as it provided the foundation for his move to North America at just 17-years-old. As reported by CBC, Musk outlined: "I left South Africa by myself when I was 17 with just a backpack & suitcase of books. Worked on my Mom's cousin's farm in Saskatchewan & a lumber mill in Vancouver."
This was before starting his first company, Zip2, with his brother Kimbal, and he has also previously claimed that he is "proudly half Canadian" in an April 2023 social media post.
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His strong relationship with current US President Donald Trump appears to have changed this long-held admiration for the country though, as he's played a key part in recent rhetoric that threatens to absolve Canada into America as the '51st state'.
Musk's own company Starlink has been affected by these tensions, as Ontario premier Doug Ford threatened to 'rip up' the C$100,000,000 ($68 million) contract with the SpaceX subsidiary following the announcement of US tariffs on Canada.
This has led to the creation of 'Petition e-5353' by New Democratic Party MP Charlie Angus, requesting that Musk's Canadian citizenship is revoked. The petition details as follows:
"Elon Musk has engaged in activities that go against the national interest of Canada; he has used his wealth and power to influence elections; he has now become a member of a foreign government that is attempting to erase Canadian sovereignty; and the attempts of Elon Musk 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."
Musk gained Canadian citizenship in 1989 - 13 years prior to his US equivalent - yet this could begin to threaten it.
At the time of writing the petition has gained 283,301 signatures, and will continue to run until June 20, 2025. In a now-deleted post on X, Musk responded to news of the petition, writing: "Canada is not a real country."
Unfortunately for those passionately attaching themselves to the petition, one key lawyer has outlined that the possibility of this being passed is highly unlikely, regardless of Musk's toxicity towards the country.
Audrey Macklin, professor of law at the University of Toronto, outlines, as per CNN: "Canada does not revoke citizenship that is lawfully obtained. This means that there is actually no way of revoking Elon Musk's Canadian citizen, unless he obtained it by fraud of misrepresentation."
As this is not the case in Musk's situation he's likely to hold on to his Canadian half, although he might not be wearing it as proudly as he once was.
Some on the r/canadianpolitics subreddit have also agreed with this position, with one user stating:
"Hard pass. His mom was born in Regina, he came by his citizenship legitimately. If we take away his now, a right wing regime can take away yours tomorrow."
Another sarcastically added: "Stripping someone of their citizenship for holding political views you disagree with? That's not a slippery slope, at all."
It certainly would open up a dangerous can of worms that the Canadian government likely won't want to go anywhere near, but it does show that many Canadians are willing to express their frustration and anger at their fellow citizen's recent actions.
