Elon Musk. Photo: Getty images
The Royal Society has decided not to take disciplinary action against renowned entrepreneur Elon Musk, despite active discussions within the scientific community. This decision was a response to a collective appeal from nearly 3,500 scientists who expressed their concern about Musk’s membership in the oldest scientific academy in the UK. This was reported by Reuters.
The organisation has confirmed that any issues related to the behaviour of its members will be treated confidentially. At the same time, the leadership of the Royal Society has concluded that assessing the political views or actions of members could do more harm than good to science.
Scientists’ protests and the Royal Society’s position
Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and Tesla, was made a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2018 in recognition of his technological achievements in space exploration and electric vehicles. Recently, however, his behaviour, including his support for controversial theories, has caused outrage among the scientific community.
His role in political processes has been particularly sharply criticised: Musk is an adviser to US President Donald Trump, who began his new term in January 2025. According to the signatories of the appeal, Musk is using his influence to attack scientific activities.
Despite the public outcry, the President of the Royal Society, Adrian Smith, urged members of the organisation not to initiate formal disciplinary procedures against Musk. He stressed that the academy should remain independent of political conflicts.
