Elon Musk, the controversial billionaire, has received a Nobel Peace Prize nomination from a Norwegian lawmaker.
Norwegian libertarian MP Marius Nilsen announced his pick in the local paper Agderposten, citing Musk's "adamant defence of dialogue, free speech and [enabling] the possibility to express one's views in a continuously more polarized world".
marius nilsen burde nomineres til nobels Nørdpris😂👏 pic.twitter.com/qK6XtOtXaY
— Empat i Drammen (@navleloe) February 20, 2024
Aside from this, Nilsen noted that Musk-led companies have played a key role in making "the world a more connected and safer place". The lawmaker also cited Musk's role in helping Ukraine in its war against Russia through Starlink, following the country's appeal to the billionaire.
"The multitude of tech companies Musk has founded, owns or runs, aimed at bettering societies, increasing knowledge of both earth and space, in addition to enabling communication and connectivity globally... has helped make the world a more connected and safer place," Nielsen said, as noted in a report from the New York Post.
From tech titan to peace advocate
Nielsen believes that Musk's contributions to free speech through his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) enabled "all parts of the world to discuss, to exchange ideas, to learn and to get to know- and understand each other is a very valuable contribution to world prosperity and peace".
It is also worth noting that in 2023, Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI adopted a for-profit benefit corporate structure in Nevada that allegedly benefits society.
NEWS: Norwegian MP Marius Nilsen has nominated Elon Musk for the Nobel Peace Prize stating it is for his 'adamant defense of dialogue, free speech and enabling the possibility to express one's views' in a continuously more polarized world. The multitude of tech companies Musk has… pic.twitter.com/LISxBjfBBF
— S.E. Robinson, Jr. (@SERobinsonJr) February 20, 2024
The nomination places Musk alongside notable activists in the running for this year's Nobel Peace Prize. Nominees include former US president Donald Trump, Colombian president Gustavo Petro, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Palestinian journalist Hind Khoudary, UN chief António Guterres, Pope Francis, Australian activist Julian Assange and British environmentalist David Attenborough.
Norwegian MP from the left-wing Red Party, Sofie Marhaug nominated journalist Julian Assange. "Assange has exposed Western war crimes and thus contributed to peace. If we want to avoid war, we must know the truth about the damage that war brings. Assange has exposed torture and inhuman behaviour towards prisoners of war. He deserves the Peace Prize," she told Dagsbladet.
The journey of a Nobel Peace Prize nominee
According to the official Nobel Peace Prize website, the names of nominators and nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize are kept under wraps until 50 years after the prize is given out. However, Nilsen, who is a member of the Energy and Environment Committee, meets the criteria to nominate someone for the prize.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which is an anonymous group of five appointed by the country's parliament, is expected to shortlist potential winners in late March. The committee will announce its majority vote in October and the award ceremony will ideally take place at the end of the year.
