Elon Musk: The 'Brother Ma' Of China, Welcomed With Feasts And Flattery On Recent Visit

Author: AJ Fabino | June 01, 2023 08:36am

In what can be described as a display of adulation, SpaceX and Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk was greeted with fanfare on a surprise trip to China this week.

What Happened: The billionaire, hailed as “Brother Ma,” a reference to Alibaba Group Holding Ltd – ADR (NYSE:BABA) co-founder and respected Chinese businessman Jack Ma, was lavished with a 16-course meal and regarded as a "global idol," according to Business Insider.

Upon landing in Beijing via private jet, marking his first trip to China in three years, Musk met with top officials from the Chinese government’s foreign, commerce, and industry departments. The public interest in Musk’s perspectives on artificial intelligence and electric vehicles was buzzing, with his visit becoming a trending topic on Chinese social media.

Read also: Blame It On Musk? Research Exposes Disturbing Impact Of Twitter Algorithm Changes

Musk’s journey to China comes amid a period of intensified competition for Tesla from Chinese EV manufacturers and heightened tensions between the U.S. and China.

One social media post shared photos of Musk’s menu at the Man Fu Yan restaurant in Beijing, which was embellished with an image of the Tesla logo and two dark horses.

The horse symbols, which correspond to the character for “horse” in Musk’s Chinese name, were paired with a phrase illustrating Tesla’s distinct standing among traditional car manufacturers, Insider reported.

Public sentiment in China extended beyond admiration for Musk’s professional achievements, with some social media users even expressing their desire for him to run for U.S. president. It should be noted that Musk, not being U.S.-born, is ineligible to assume the role of the commander in chief.

It is also important to note that Twitter is blocked in China, and Musk had been absent from the platform since May 29. He broke his silence on Thursday, resuming activity with a tweet on SpaceX.