The Washington Post reported that South African-born billionaire and businessman Ilon Musk worked illegally in the United States for a brief period in the 1990s, writes UNN.
The publication reports that Musk arrived in Palo Alto, California, in 1995 to attend Stanford University, but never enrolled in graduate school. Instead, he formed a software company called Zip2, which was sold in 1999 for about $300 million.
Two immigration law experts said Musk needed to complete a full course of study to maintain a valid work permit as a student.
Musk did not respond to requests for comment sent to his four companies - SpaceX, Tesla, social media company X and The Boring Company - as well as Musk's attorney Alex Spiro.
Musk, in a 2020 podcast quoted by the Post, said: “I was there legally, but I had to do student work. I was allowed to do some work, support anything.
The Washington Post cited two of Musk's former colleagues who recalled that Musk was authorized to work in the U.S. around 1997.
Elon Musk has been in secret talks with Vladimir Putin since 2022 - WSJ25.10.2024, 09:35
Recall
Musk endorsed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election, which is scheduled for November 5.
Trump is known for his hardline anti-migration stance, he states that migrants are criminals taking robotics away from Americans. During his 2017-2021 presidency, he has taken tough measures to curb legal and illegal migration. He promises the largest deportation effort in U.S. history if re-elected.