Elon Musk's free speech advocacy and use of Starlink satellites to help hurricane victims in Florida mean he should receive the Nobel Peace Prize, according to Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis.
Patronis wrote to the Sweden-based Nobel Foundation on Friday to throw his support behind Musk's nomination, which Norwegian lawmaker Marius Nilsen floated earlier in the week.
"As Florida's Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal, I felt compelled to share my enthusiasm for the work of Elon Musk and give him my wholehearted endorsement for the Nobel Peace Prize," Patronis wrote.
"His tireless advocacy for two essential ideals, including free speech and universal internet access, has forever changed the world for the better. In a world increasingly caught up in censorship, cancel culture, and digital divides, Musk's beliefs shine as a beacon of progress, creating a path toward a brighter, more connected future for humanity."
Musk, 52, is a businessman who has founded or led a slew of companies that made technological advances in the 21st Century, including PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla. He bought Twitter in 2022 after criticizing the way it censored and curated content. He has since rebranded the social media site as X.
Musk has styled himself as a "free speech absolutist" but has also threatened to sue journalists who alleged "hate speech" had increased since he bought Twitter. He also endorsed an antisemitic tweet in November 2023.
"First, imagine a world where every voice, no matter how seemingly insignificant, can find a platform to resonate," Patronis wrote. "This is the dream Elon Musk championed with the purchase and overhaul of Twitter. The X platform is now on its way to fulfilling Musk's vision of becoming a digital public square where the marketplace of ideas thrives."
The deployment of SpaceX's Starlink satellites in areas under duress, however, has drawn plaudits. Starlink was used in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in 2022, and was used to help Ukrainians fight back against a Russian invasion earlier that year.
"By providing immediate Starlink satellite access to Florida's first responders and communities as they worked to recover, Musk gave hope to Floridians at their darkest moments and helped them rebuild faster," Patronis wrote. "We also saw his commitment to open access for all during the War in Ukraine, giving the Ukrainians vital access to open communication, particularly during the chaotic fog of war."
The help to Ukraine, however, was complicated by the news that Musk refused to allow the Ukrainian military to use Starlink to launch an attack on Russian forces in Crimea.
A shortlist of candidates will be made from the nominations next month.
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