The Royal Society is reportedly under pressure to expel Elon Musk from its fellowship amid concerns over his controversial statements and potential impact on the institution’s reputation.
Elected as a fellow of the UK’s Royal Society in 2018 for his contributions to space and electric vehicle industries, Elon Musk, owner of the social media platform X, is often compared to the influential engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, reported The Guardian.
Musk co-founded SpaceX, known for its breakthroughs in reusable rocket technology, and is also the CEO and co-founder of Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), a leader in sustainable energy innovation.
However, several Royal Society fellows have proposed the potential revocation of Musk’s fellowship in letters to the institution, The Guardian added.
One fellow cited Musk’s inflammatory remarks, including his reaction to recent UK riots, as reasons for concern that he might tarnish the institution’s reputation.
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Musk’s tweets on unrest have faced backlash: Downing Street condemned his “civil war is inevitable” remark on Liverpool riots, and he shared a fake news story about Keir Starmer and emergency detainment camps, later deleted.
He also pushed a conspiracy theory alleging UK police unfairly target white far-right protesters the report read.
There are concerns that removing Musk might need to focus on his potential to amplify harmful beliefs, rather than his personal views.
Expelling a fellow from the Royal Society would be unprecedented, with no expulsions reported in over 150 years, the report read.
However, there have been controversies; for example, in 2008, Prof. Michael Reiss resigned as director of education following remarks about teaching creationism in schools.
The Royal Society spokesperson told The Guardian, “Any issues raised in respect of individual fellows are dealt with in confidence.”
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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