Elon Musk praised Kanye West on Sunday, describing the rapper as having “a good heart” and calling him “a world champion troll (Hall of famer).”
The Tesla and SpaceX chief executive posted the remark on X in direct response to a circulating video of West, who legally goes by Ye. In the clip, shared by the account @XAdam_s, Ye stands on a table and urges people to stop targeting Musk. He says variations of “If Elon has a bad week, we have a bad life” and “Leave that man the f**k alone,” while dismissing criticism about visitors to Musk’s home or online mockery of the billionaire.
Musk’s post, timestamped 1 November 2026, quickly drew tens of thousands of likes and more than a million views. Fan and news accounts amplified the exchange, including one from @FearedBuck that paired the quote with a photograph of the two men standing together. Reports noted that Ye engaged positively with the comment, including by reposting it.
Elon Reeve Musk, 55, was born in Pretoria, South Africa, on 28 June 1971. He is the chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX, the owner of X, and one of the world’s wealthiest individuals. Ye, born Kanye Omari West on 8 June 1977 in Atlanta and raised primarily in Chicago, is a Grammy-winning rapper, producer, and fashion designer who has released multiple commercially successful albums under both names.
The two first crossed paths publicly around 2011, when Musk reportedly gave West a private tour of SpaceX facilities. Over the following years they exchanged public support at times, including Musk’s decision to reinstate West’s account on the platform after earlier restrictions. Their relationship has also included friction, particularly after West made a series of antisemitic statements that Musk publicly criticised. Periods of unfollowing and account limitations followed those remarks.
The pair appeared together in the 2025 documentary In Whose Name?, directed by Nico Ballesteros. In one scene they sit side by side on a large floor cushion and discuss their personal relationships in a casual exchange. West has defended Musk on multiple occasions in the past. This latest exchange continues a pattern of intermittent public solidarity.
Both men command large online audiences and frequently generate controversy. Musk’s characterisation of West as a top-tier troll acknowledges the rapper’s long record of provocative public statements while pairing it with a personal compliment. Coverage on hip-hop and entertainment sites framed the moment as a sign that relations between them are currently positive after earlier rocky periods.
Reactions on X included supportive comments celebrating the mutual recognition. The exchange has drawn attention to the ongoing public interest in the intersection of technology leadership, celebrity culture, and free-speech debates on the platform Musk owns.
