Welcome to Elon Musk’s world, where politicians are paid to be divisive
The IndependentThe revelation that Reform MPs Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson and Rupert Lowe have pocketed over £10,000 from Elon Musk’s X between them is deeply depressing – and not just because wealthy, unpleasant men shunting money back and forth between each other turns the stomach. Unlike traditional media, where editorial standards might temper the most inflammatory content, X’s monetisation strategy actively incentivises division. This is because it’s not really about follower count, it’s about creating moments that trigger emotional responses – Anderson especially has made ranting online about “Pakistani rape gangs” into literally profitable content. Politicians who can reliably generate outrage can effectively be put on Musk’s payroll, creating a direct financial incentive to be as inflammatory as possible.