The Royal Society is reportedly under pressure, Elon Musk dismissed from the community due to concerns about his controversial statements and the potential impact on the institution’s reputation.

Elon Musk, owner of the social media platform X, was elected a member of Britain’s Royal Society in 2018 for his contributions to the space and electric vehicle industries and is often compared to influential engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, The Guardian reported.

Musk is co-founder SpaceXknown for his breakthroughs in reusable rocket technology, and is also CEO and co-founder of Tesla subsidiary TSLa leader in sustainable energy innovation.

However, several Royal Society fellows have suggested the possible withdrawal of Musk’s fellowship in letters to the institution, The Guardian added.

One of the colleagues cited Musk’s inflammatory remarks, including his response to the recent unrest in the UK, as a cause for concern that he could damage the institution’s reputation.

Also read: Elon Musk’s X employees must justify why they deserve stock grants with a one-page summary of their contributions: report

Musk’s tweets about the riots sparked a fierce reaction: Downing Street condemned his comment on the Liverpool riots that “civil war was inevitable” and he spread a fake news story about Keir Starmer and emergency detention camps that was later deleted.

He also spread a conspiracy theory that British police were unfairly targeting white far-right protesters, the report said.

There are fears that Musk’s firing should focus on his potential to reinforce harmful beliefs rather than his personal views.

The expulsion of a member of the Royal Society would be unprecedented, as no expulsions have been recorded for over 150 years, the report said.

However, controversy also arose. For example, Professor Michael Reiss resigned as Director of Education in 2008 after he made comments about the teaching of creationism in schools.

The Royal Society spokesman told The Guardian: “All questions raised in relation to individual fellows are treated confidentially.”

Disclaimer: This content was created in part using AI tools and reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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