Tommy Robinson Elon Musk: Tesla CEO funding UK far-right ringleader's legal battles - why is there support and what has Nigel Farage said about it?

In a message posted to supporters on Telegram Monday, first reported by the i newspaper, Robinson’s team said it was “grateful to Elon Musk and his team at X for agreeing to provide support to Tommy Robinson for two specific legal cases.” Robinson was jailed in 2024 after breaching a court order imposed over his repeated libeling of a Syrian refugee schoolboy.

The 41-year-old, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has also been charged with a terrorism offense after refusing to surrender his phone to police, and is challenging his treatment in prison on human rights grounds. Robinson’s representatives said on Telegram that Musk “and his team are only involved in these two cases” and that no discussions had taken place with the X owner and Donald Trump appointee over Robinson’s wider legal battles.

The statement added: “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Elon and his team for their unexpected and generous assistance with these cases. Tommy is immensely grateful for their support, which came as a complete surprise.”

Musk has yet to publicly comment on the claim. The Tesla CEO and billionaire has previously called for Robinson to be released from prison, calling on British authorities to “Free Tommy Robinson” from his X platform.

As Musk added his voice to calls to release Yaxley-Lennon, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage distanced himself from Elon Musk's support for the far-right activist. Farage has been proud to show off the support of Musk, flying to Florida to meet the owner of social media site X, who helped President-elect Donald Trump win the US election.

But Musk's support for Yaxley-Lennon is uncomfortable for Farage, who has made it clear over a number of years that he does not want him in his political party. Speaking to Reform UK's East Midlands conference in Leicester, Farage said Musk had "a whole range of opinions, some of which I agree with very strongly, and others of which I am more reticent about".

The disagreement seems to have blown up their alliance. Musk tweeted that Reform UK “needs a new leader” because “Farage doesn’t have what it takes”- to which Farage responded that he maintains “Tommy Robinson is not right for Reform and I never sell out my principles.”

Musk had previously reinstated Robinson’s account on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the far-right activist was previously banned from the platform, and has tweeted in support of Robinson in the past. Robinson’s activism in the UK has made him popular among the far-right in the US, which could further explain why Musk is so publicly aligning himself with the British figure.