Elon Musk sparked controversy with a one-armed gesture he made during a speech celebrating the inauguration of Donald Trump.
Musk expressed his gratitude to the audience for "making it happen," placing his right hand over his heart before thrusting his arm straight ahead into the air. He repeated the action for those behind him.
Critics on X, the social media platform he owns, likened the gesture to a Nazi salute.
Responding to the criticism on X, Musk commented, "Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The 'everyone is Hitler' attack is sooo tired."
During his speech at the Capital One Arena in Washington DC, Musk, the world's wealthiest man and a close ally of President Trump, stated, "My heart goes out to you. It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured."
The gesture received immediate backlash on social media.
Historian Claire Aubin referred to Musk's gesture as a "sieg heil," or Nazi salute, while Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian at New York University, described it as "a Nazi salute and a very belligerent one too."
Andrea Stroppa, a close associate of Musk, was reported by Italian media to have linked Musk with far-right Italian PM Giorgia Meloni by posting a clip of Musk with the caption: "Roman Empire is back starting from Roman salute."
Stroppa later clarified that "that gesture, which some mistook for a Nazi salute, is simply Elon, who has autism, expressing his feelings by saying, 'I want to give my heart to you.'" He added, "That is exactly what he communicated into the microphone. ELON DISLIKES EXTREMISTS!"
Musk's political inclinations towards the right have been evident, with his statements in support of Germany's far-right AfD party and British anti-immigration party Reform UK attracting attention.
Despite the controversy, some, including the Anti-Defamation League, defended Musk. The organization shared on X, "It seems that Elon Musk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute."
As one of President Trump's closest allies, Musk has been chosen to co-lead what the president calls the Department of Government Efficiency.