Elon Musk says he is ‘simply an American’ as lakhs of Canadians sign petition to revoke his citizenship

Elon Musk on Tuesday said that he considers himself “to be simply an American” as protests against him grow in Canada. The Tesla CEO, the richest person on Earth, was born in South Africa and holds dual citizenship in Canada and the US.

The billionaire, who recently rose to political power by becoming the face of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under Donald Trump, said he identifies as an American without using a hyphenated identity.

“Should note that I grew up as English South African, not Afrikaans, and consider myself to be simply an American. No hyphen [sic],” he said in a post on X.

Musk made the X post while sharing a long podcast about the situation in his birth country, South Africa.

“That said, what’s happening in South Africa is deeply wrong. Not what Mandela intended at all,” he said.

Musk's clarification regarding his nationality comes days after a petition seeking to revoke his Canadian citizenship garnered more than 3 lakh signatures as tensions between the US and Canada grow.

Canadians want to cancel Musk's citizenship

Lakhs of people have signed the petition that seeks to cancel Elon Musk's Canadian Citizenship.

The petition, which opened in February, accuses the Tesla boss of acting against Canada's national interest and undermining its sovereignty.

The petition says that Musk has “used his wealth and power to influence our elections” and “has now become a member of a foreign government that is attempting to erase Canadian sovereignty,” according to a report by the BBC.

The Canadian government can revoke citizenship if someone has committed fraud, misrepresented themselves, or withheld information knowingly on an immigration or citizenship application.

In a now-deleted X post, Musk had replied to the petition, saying that Canada is “not a real country”.

Social media lashes out

Elon Musk's post received flak on social media, with users calling out his “double standards”.

“Ironic that you worked here illegally initially yet you consider yourself American; but you’re passionate about deporting other people who work here illegally and consider themselves American too. What’s with the double standard, Elon [sic],” a user said.

Another commenter took a dig at his transphobic stance.

“So you identify as someone else than you were born as? Interesting,” the user wrote.

“You have two hyphens, and you're one-third American. Renounce your other citizenships if you want to be considered American,” a third user commented.