Maye Musk is in the country “almost every month.”
It is Musk and Trump’s secret weapon in China
12/26/2024 – 7:57 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
Maye Musk has built a loyal following in China, supporting her son’s business interests. She is seen as a bridge – also to Donald Trump.
Maye Musk has built up a remarkable fan base in China in recent years. Elon Musk’s 76-year-old mother is valued in the People’s Republic not only as a model and nutritionist – but also for her connections to her famous son and thus Donald Trump. The British “Guardian” reports this in a detailed analysis.
The senior says she visits the country “almost every month” and is seen by many as her son’s “secret weapon” to further his business and political ambitions in China. Elon Musk himself has close business relationships with Tesla in China, where his company’s largest factory is located. At the same time, Musk has close ties to the US government and especially the Department of Defense due to his closeness to Donald Trump.
Elon Musk’s mother presents herself in China as an independent, sophisticated personality. Her biography, “A Woman Makes a Plan,” has been widely popular and celebrated by commentators on the Chinese social media platform Douban. The woman who repeatedly rails against critics of her adult son both online and in TV interviews in the USA is seen by many as a role model. “This amazing woman went from being a housewife subjected to domestic violence to becoming a world-famous supermodel while raising three billionaires,” one user wrote on Chinese platform Weibo.
Maye Musk has a name in China – not only because of her family connections, but also because of her work as an advertising face. The 76-year-old promoted the Chinese brands Oppo and AISE Baobao, among others. She also worked for the fashion companies JNBY and Fila.
Maye Musk has gained reach through her activities on social media. She has over half a million followers on Xiaohongshu, a platform particularly popular among young women. She is considered a “silver influencer” – an older woman who “ages gracefully”. These “silver influencers” are increasingly valued in China.
But Maye Musk’s popularity in China doesn’t just come from a social media fan base – she consciously cultivates her image in the country. Musk has praised the country, which is led dictatorially by Xi Jinping, particularly for its advances in infrastructure and technology. This positioning could also benefit her son. In China, Elon Musk is not only seen as a successful entrepreneur, but also as a possible bridge to the USA – and therefore also to Donald Trump.
