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Has Elon Musk ever expressed interest in becoming a Canadian citizen?
Executive summary
Elon Musk is widely reported to hold Canadian citizenship through his mother, Maye Musk, but the sources I was given do not include any direct quote or record of Musk explicitly saying he wants to become a Canadian citizen — because he already is one. Reporting documents that Musk inherited Canadian citizenship by descent and that recent petitions have sought to strip that citizenship; available sources do not mention Musk ever expressing interest in “becoming” Canadian because he already holds that status [1] [2] [3].
1. How Musk came to be a Canadian — not an aspiration but a birthright
Multiple outlets explain that Elon Musk’s Canadian status is congenital: his mother, Maye Musk, was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, and that allowed him to inherit Canadian citizenship [1] [4]. Profiles and explainers reiterate that Musk obtained Canadian citizenship by descent and that he emigrated to Canada in 1989 before later naturalizing in the United States [3] [1]. Because these accounts frame his Canadian citizenship as a matter of parentage and legal inheritance, they present Musk not as someone who at any point expressed a desire to acquire Canadian citizenship, but rather as someone who possessed it from youth — including applying for a Canadian passport to avoid compulsory South African military service, according to reporting summarized in a biographical entry [3].
2. The 2025 petition: public anger, not a new citizenship bid
In early 2025 a surge of Canadians signed parliamentary e-petitions demanding that the government revoke Musk’s Canadian citizenship, framing their anger around his role in U.S. politics and alleged interference in Canadian affairs [5] [2]. Hundreds of thousands signed petitions calling for revocation, accusing Musk of actions “against Canada’s national interest” and of becoming “a member of a foreign government” [6] [4]. These developments are about stripping an existing status, not about Musk seeking it; there is no reporting in the provided sources indicating Musk sought Canadian citizenship or publicly campaigned for it in recent coverage [5] [2].
3. Legal context: why Canada can’t easily “strip” him
Several articles and legal commentaries explain that Canadian law sets narrow grounds for revoking citizenship — typically fraud or misrepresentation in obtaining it — meaning experts told reporters it’s unlikely the petition would succeed without new legislation [7] [2]. Commentators emphasize that the petition functions as a political statement rather than a practical legal remedy under the current Citizenship Act [7] [8]. That legal framing underscores that contemporary media attention is focused on whether Canada can or should act against a citizen, not on Musk wanting to become Canadian.
4. Musk’s public reactions and the political dimension
When coverage of the petition spread, the story became politically charged: some reports note Musk’s social media responses and the involvement of Canadian politicians like MP Charlie Angus who sponsored petitions and called for investigations [9] [5]. Reporting quotes MPs and petition language asserting Musk “has engaged in activities that go against the national interest of Canada”, and it records the cross-border political friction that animated the petition drive [9] [5]. The sources show competing viewpoints: petitioners stress national-security and sovereignty concerns, while legal experts point to statutory limits on revocation [8] [7].
5. What the available sources do — and do not — say about Musk’s own intent
The assembled reporting is explicit about Musk’s citizenship status and public role in U.S. politics, and it records public reactions to that role; the sources do not report Musk ever stating he wanted to become a Canadian citizen because he already holds Canadian citizenship [1] [3]. If the question asks whether Musk has ever “expressed interest in becoming a Canadian citizen,” reporters instead documented inherited status and a later civic controversy — not a personal pursuit of Canadian nationality in the coverage provided [4] [2]. For claims about Musk’s personal statements of intent beyond what’s in these sources, available sources do not mention them.
6. Bottom line for readers: phrasing and precision matter
As currently reported, the factual landscape is straightforward: Elon Musk is a Canadian citizen by descent, and recent public debate in Canada has centered on whether that citizenship should be revoked — not on Musk seeking to acquire it [1] [2]. Asking whether he “ever expressed interest in becoming a Canadian citizen” misunderstands the basics reported here; the better-posed question is whether he has sought to retain, renounce, or publicly comment on that inherited citizenship — areas where the cited reporting highlights protests, petitions, and his social media responses rather than a personal campaign to become Canadian [5] [6].