Elon Musk tweets misattributed quote from a neo-nazi

San Francisco, California - Elon Musk shared a misattributed quote on Twitter that was actually said by a neo-Nazi.

Elon Musk (r.) recently tweeted a meme featuring a quote wrongfully attributed to Voltaire (l.), and Twitter users quickly pointed out it came from a neo-Nazi.
Elon Musk (r.) recently tweeted a meme featuring a quote wrongfully attributed to Voltaire (l.), and Twitter users quickly pointed out it came from a neo-Nazi.  © Collage: IMAGO / Gemini Collection & USA TODAY Network

On Saturday, the billionaire tweeted a meme showing a large hand with several much smaller people under it as they fight to keep the hand from crushing them.

The meme included the quote, "To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize," which is wrongfully attributed to the French Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire.

According to The Associate Press, "The quote, which was paraphrased, comes from a 1993 radio broadcast by Kevin Alfred Strom, who has been identified as a neo-Nazi by organizations that monitor hate groups."

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The quote has been "repurposed and incorrectly attributed" to Voltaire on countless occasions, despite having been said 100 years after his death.

Despite this, and the fact that countless Twitter users pointed out the mistake, Musk's tweet remains up, and he has yet to comment on it.

Arguably one of the smartest minds in the world, Musk has led a fight for free speech since he bought Twitter last year, which has seen him become more supportive of far-right communities and ideologies.

Perhaps his sharing of the quote shows he believes Voltaire may have fought a similar battle.

Author Keith Olbermann slammed Musk for the meme, stating, "If only your ability to launch rockets or presidential campaigns was as good as your ability to launch misinformation."

Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO / Gemini Collection & USA TODAY Network

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