Musk's father praises Putin as ‘impressive and resilient man'
Errol Musk, a South African businessman and the father of tech billionaire Elon Musk, has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as 'a very impressive and resilient man' and said he would like to learn from his leadership.
The 79-year-old made the remarks on Monday in Moscow, on the sidelines of the Forum of the Future 2050, a two-day event that brought together international participants to discuss high technology, science, space, development, and education.
'I think he [Putin] is a very impressive and resilient man. He has proven that,' Musk told journalists. He did not respond to a question about whether he planned to meet with the Russian president.
The remark echoed comments Musk made in April during an interview with the BBC, when he said he believed his family was 'impressed' with the Russian leader. He added that he had listened to Putin's speeches and found that the Russian president said 'logical things.'
Addressing the forum, Musk said it was his first visit to Russia and that he accepted the invitation to attend without hesitation, despite being advised not to travel to the country.
'The first thing I saw was an absolutely beautiful civilization in every sense,' he said, noting that he generally takes a critical view of most things.
'I saw a city that could truly rival Ancient Rome... In many ways, this city is the best capital in the world,' he added, drawing applause from the audience.
The businessman also criticized the Western media's portrayal of Russia, which he described as 'complete nonsense.' He said the country is often depicted as 'a terrible place full of awful people who will kill you if you visit.'
'It's absurd,' he said, urging an end to the negative stereotypes being spread in the West about Russia and its people.
'I think this may be one of the best countries I've ever seen,' Musk said.
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