South African tycoon Elon Musk, one of the richest men in the world and an ally of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, worked illegally in the United States early in his business career, according to testimonies, court records and documents collected in a Washington Post investigation.
According to the findings of this investigation, Musk had no right to work while working at the company that would eventually become Zip2 and which he would sell for $300 million in 1999.
According to legal experts consulted by the newspaper, Musk broke the law in 1995, when he arrived in Palo Alto (California) to take a graduate program at Stanford University, but never enrolled in courses, instead working at his new company. His absence from school left Musk with no legal basis to remain in the United States, according to this opinion.
By failing to register, Musk would have been forced to leave the country, according to legal experts and immigration laws at the time. The newspaper notes that while overstaying a student visa is a common phenomenon and authorities have often let the matter slide, prolonging a stay under such conditions is still a crime.
Neither Musk nor his lawyer have responded to calls from the newspaper to give their version of events.
