Maple News reports that Elon Musk, the tech billionaire behind Tesla, SpaceX, and owner of X (formerly Twitter), is a citizen of three countries: South Africa, the United States, and Canada. But his Canadian citizenship, long viewed as a footnote in his biography, is now the target of public debate.
Musk acquired Canadian citizenship by descent at birth. Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Musk inherited citizenship through his mother, Maye Musk, a Canadian-born model and dietitian from Regina, Saskatchewan. Under Canada’s Citizenship Act, children born outside of Canada automatically gain Canadian citizenship if one of their legal parents is a Canadian citizen—though this only applies for one generation.
Calls to revoke Musk’s Canadian status are gaining traction after an e-petition launched by British Columbia author Qualia Reed and sponsored by NDP MP Charlie Angus. The petition, which alleges that Musk has grown politically aligned with foreign interests that “undermine Canadian sovereignty,” has garnered over 340,000 signatures. The effort comes amid increasing scrutiny of Musk’s global influence and controversial online presence.
Musk himself weighed in on the petition through a now-deleted post on X, writing, “Canada is not a real country,” a remark that sparked criticism across Canadian social and political circles. His comment added fuel to the growing debate around nationalism, citizenship, and tech moguls’ political impacts.
However, legal experts say the petition is unlikely to affect Musk’s citizenship. According to Canadian law, the government can only revoke citizenship if it was obtained through fraud, misrepresentation, or knowingly concealing material facts. Since Musk inherited citizenship through his Canadian mother and has not been accused of any such misconduct in the process, the petition is symbolic rather than legally effective.
For those interested in how Canadian citizenship is granted, there are primarily two paths: by birth or naturalization. Individuals may become Canadian at birth if they are born on Canadian soil or if they are born abroad but have at least one Canadian parent. For those not born Canadian, the path involves first becoming a permanent resident, then applying for naturalization.
Maple News notes that there are prospective amendments being considered for the Canadian Citizenship Act, particularly around the second-generation cut-off for citizenship by descent, though no formal changes have been enacted yet. These discussions may grow more focused as high-profile cases like Musk’s continue to raise questions about identity, affiliation, and what it means to be a citizen in today’s interconnected world.