Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has dismissed the argument that colonialism is the primary cause of Africa’s poverty, expressing support for a social media post that challenged the long-standing narrative.
Musk made the remark on Saturday after reacting on X to a post by user @magattew, who compared the economic histories of Ethiopia and Vietnam in questioning the explanation often given for Africa’s underdevelopment.
In the post, the user argued that Ethiopia, which was never colonised for most of its history, remained one of the poorest countries in Africa for many years, while Vietnam, despite being colonised by the French and later devastated by decades of war, has achieved significant economic progress in recent years.
The user wrote, “Ethiopia was never colonized. For much of its history, it was one of the poorest countries on the continent. Meanwhile, Vietnam was colonized by the French, devastated by decades of war, and is now on its way to serious economic prosperity. If colonialism were the answer to why Africa is poor, Ethiopia should be rich and Vietnam should be broke. Neither is true. Can we please retire this excuse?”
The post was used to argue that colonialism may not be the primary explanation for Africa’s economic struggles, suggesting that other structural and historical factors should also be considered.
Musk endorsed the view by reposting it on X and responding with a single word of agreement: “Yes.”
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