Elon Musk Was An Illegal In The 90s: Report

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC – Elon Musk may have worked in the U.S. without authorization during a brief period in the 1990s while building his startup, according to a Washington Post report from October 27. Musk disputed the claim, stating on his social media platform X that he was legally authorized to work, initially with a J-1 visa that later transitioned to an H1-B. The J-1 visa permits foreign students to engage in academic training, while the H1-B allows temporary employment.

According to the Post, Musk arrived in Palo Alto, California, in 1995 with plans to attend Stanford University, but he left the program shortly after to co-found his software company, Zip2, which sold for roughly $300 million in 1999. Immigration law experts consulted by the publication noted that, under the J-1 visa, Musk would have needed to maintain full-time student status to remain authorized to work in the U.S.

The report also mentioned that two former colleagues recalled Musk obtaining work authorization around 1997. Musk has since endorsed Donald Trump, a presidential candidate known for his hardline stance on immigration, despite Trump himself having close ties to immigrants, including his wife.