Elon Musk turns on Reform leader in furious three-word bust-up

Elon Musk has accused Nigel Farage of "lying" in an extraordinary public confrontation after the Reform UK leader claimed he had turned down the tech billionaire's money - and the world's richest man flatly denied it.

The falling-out burst into the open after Farage, speaking to The Sun's editor-at-large Harry Cole, insisted he "cannot be bought" by anyone, and revealed he had rejected a financial offer from his former ally Musk in exchange for publicly backing certain policies. Responding on his own social media platform X, Musk posted simply: "Farage is lying."

The Express has contacted Farage via Reform UK for comment.

The Clacton MP is currently under investigation by Parliament's Standards Commissioner over a £5million payment he received in 2024 from Christopher Harborne, a Thailand-based billionaire, shortly before his unexpected comeback to British politics. Parliament's Standards Commissioner is now examining whether the "unconditional gift" was properly handled.

The cryptocurrency investor has poured £12million into Reform's coffers, making him the party's single largest donor. The Conservatives have argued the payment falls foul of strict parliamentary rules requiring gifts and donations received within 12 months of entering the Commons to be declared.

Farage insists the sum, which he says was used to fund his personal security, was entirely above board, and that he has the documentation to prove it.

Farage was defiant. "I'm utterly confident. I've got good lawyers, good accountants. I've done nothing wrong in any way at all. We're entirely confident," he said.

Asked about the probe on the Sun's Never Mind the Ballots, he added: "I can't be bought by anybody."

He also claimed his constituents in Clacton were unmoved by the controversy, saying: "No one cares. They care if you're a crook, which I'm not and never have been. But the fact that I made a few quid doing things, this doesn't worry people at all."

Farage drew a parallel with his time as an MEP in Brussels, during which he faced five separate fraud investigations. "They drag it on for years. Listen, I'm not in the least bit worried about it," he said.

Explaining the nature of the Harborne payment, he told Cole: "It's very unusual for someone to give up 27 years of their life to campaign for something. And this was given to me on an unconditional basis, completely unconditional basis. But frankly, it was given as a reward for campaigning for Brexit for 27 years."

He insisted the gift had nothing to do with his decision to return to frontline politics.

The Reform leader used the interview to make a pointed claim about his former ally, alleging that Musk had attempted to use financial inducements to influence his public statements. "I cannot be bought by anybody. No, not anyone. Not even Elon Musk…he wanted to give us a load of money if I said certain things publicly, and I refused," he said.

He added: "I didn't do it. I didn't do it. So I made an enemy of Elon Musk, but that shows you I'm my own man, I make my own mind up."

Musk's two-word rebuttal on X - "Farage is lying" - left little room for ambiguity as to how the billionaire views his hisory with the Reform leader.

On his broader finances, Farage was unapologetic, pointing out that he foregoes Parliamentary expenses entirely, while brushing aside questions about the £2million he has accumulated in outside earnings since winning his Commons seat.

He said his Clacton constituents had told him simply: "Good luck to you, mate."