As Donald Trump delivered his victory speech in the wake of his historic US election victory on Wednesday morning, he described Elon Musk as a “super genius”.

“We have to protect our super geniuses,” the US President-elect added.

While it is a fool’s errand to try to hold Trump to his word given his propensity to fall out with his close confidantes, it can certainly be expected that the world’s richest man is, for now at least, a key member of the Trump inner circle. And this could cause trouble for Sir Keir Starmer and his administration.

The tech tycoon, who owns Tesla, Space X and the social media firm X (formerly Twitter), has repeatedly illustrated his willingness to attack the Prime Minister, utilising his platform to amplify his message to his more than 200m followers and beyond.

It is his social media presence that is likely to present the biggest challenge to the Prime Minister in the months and possibly years ahead.

No 10 plan to smooth relations with tech mogul

The concern is such that the Government is considering some quiet diplomacy to head off the prospect of more public criticism of Starmer from Musk.

i understands that Downing Street may seek to use contacts in Big Tech to forge back channel links in an attempt to smooth relations with the multibillionaire.

But a new law has the potential to further upset things and put the UK on a collision course with Musk and his X platform which he has promoted as an outlet for free speech, but has seen growing concerns about its lack of moderation.

The UK is implementing the Online Safety Act, legislation that has the aim of cracking down on the spread of harmful content on social media, with the policing by regulator Ofcom due to kick in early next year.

A failure to comply with the new rules will result in fines of up to 10 per cent of global turnover and even amount to criminal charges being brought against executives.

Labour MPs were already worried about the prospect of further conflict with Musk. One who is well-versed on the topic told i: “I think he has the potential to cause some serious problems for Keir. He has already shown that he can be a headache, and it is more than likely that he could continue to be so. In fact, it could be about to get worse.”

The warning signs for the new Labour Government began to flash almost as soon as they entered power in the wake of the riots that flared up during the summer.

How Musk trolled Starmer

At the height of the Southport riots following a multiple stabbing at a Taylor Swift dance class, Musk tweeted that “civil war was inevitable”. The claims attracted criticism from No10, who insisted there was “no justification for comments like that”.

Far from discouraging the South African-born US citizen, it merely pushed him to double down on his attacks on Starmer and his nascent operation, choosing instead to boost far right profiles, such as that of Tommy Robinson.

He branded the Prime Minister “two tier Keir” in regards to the policing of the riots and the subsequent crackdown on social media accounts spreading misinformation.

Since then, Musk has criticised the Government’s decision not to invite him to its major investor summit, claiming people should avoid these shores because the Government was “releasing convicted pedophiles [sic]”.

He has even taken time to launch salvos at Downing Street over the kind of domestic policy that would not usually attract much international attention such as the plan to impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1m, telling Starmer to “leave the farmers alone”.

Insiders believe that the threat of ongoing attacks from Musk means a fresh strategy will have to be developed to manage him and his outbursts.

The multibillionaire has used his social media platform to cheerlead for Trump, while he also launched a voter “lottery” that saw him give away $1m to voters in swing states in the run up to polling day in this week’s US presidential election.

A Democrat District Attorney, had called the process a scam “designed to actually influence a national election” and asked that it be shut down. But a judge ruled on Monday that it could continue.

‘We need a strategy to deal with him’

A Labour backbencher, who spent years working in Washington DC during Trump’s last term in office, said: “He’s [Musk] obviously been very critical of the Mayor of London, the Prime Minister, the police – and he has a megaphone.

“We need some sort of strategy for dealing with him and dealing with X, because he will not hesitate to interfere in UK elections in the future.”

Even the Conservatives expressed sympathy with the Government’s predicament as many expect Musk to continue firing his barbs at No 10, with one former minister saying the Prime Minister should expect “more of the same”.

“There’s no easy solution,” the MP replied when asked if the Government should push ahead with its regulatory reforms to social media at the risk of more blowback from Musk.

“But we should look at it the other way, we should continue to lead the way in creating a proportionate and agile digital regulatory framework for AI and social media – irrespective of whether it’s convenient to Elon Musk!” the backbencher added. “His power is what we need to guard against.”

Murdoch 2.0?

When Elon Musk took the decision to buy Twitter for $44bn in 2022, many believed it was a result of the billionaire’s bravado while tweeting on the social media platform. A mishap, albeit a very expensive one. 

Having stumped up the cash, the libertarian tech tycoon soon decided to transform the site from one that was more tightly moderated to a free speech haven that he described as a global “town square”. 

Musk has chosen to shape the platform into his own image, allowing previously banned profiles back onto the site, including Donald Trump’s, and he soon realised the power that was at his disposal. 

Much like a newspaper mogul in the 20th Century, the businessman owner of Tesla and Space X, has realised his website’s ability to influence election races by the power of modern media. 

The South African has ensured his account has the most followers on X – more than 200m – and has the power to amplify, or diminish, the voices of supporters of political parties using the site’s algorithm. 

Donald Trump and his advisers were quick to realise this potential and wasted no time in embracing the tech giant. While previously the President-elect was obsessed with getting onside with the likes of Rupert Murdoch, he has perhaps found his replacement in Musk – a Murdoch 2.0.

Whereas before, gaining the backing of the press and broadcasters was paramount in a politician’s push for power, Musk, Trump and their supporters now sneer at the “legacy media”. 

But experts in online regulation believe that despite his hyperbole, Musk is above all a businessman, who can be pragmatic in the face of tough legislation, as demonstrated when the Brazilian government blocked access to his platform for spreading misinformation. The ban was lifted when X agreed to changes and paid a $5m fine.

The online campaigner Baroness Kidron, who was instrumental in drafting the Online Safety Act, told i: “Elon Musk has shown that he will abide by local rules. His recent spat with Brazil ended with both a fine and changes to X. So while there is a long history of governments pandering to tech exceptionalism, it is now the case that citizens, particularly parents and those who have responsibility for children, are demanding a safer – more regulated – digital world.

“We must not mistake Musk’s willingness to troll the Prime Minister or offer a view on any-and-all subjects as fundamental to the UK government’s legal and moral responsibility to keep UK citizens safe. Musk is primarily a businessman, albeit a mouthy one, and he will do business on local terms.”

No 10 must now wait to see what role, if any, the tycoon is given in the new Trump administration. But MPs supportive of his work believe he is unlikely to want to denigrate the UK any further.

“I don’t think you should see Musk as anti-British,” one rightwing backbencher said. “He sells a lot of Teslas here and has his operations here. He will want to go on selling a lot of Teslas here.”