NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden slammed Elon Musk for hypocrisy on immigration after a report emerged that Tesla CEO worked illegally in the United States. Musk, born in South Africa, denies the allegation.

“The richest man in the world turned out to be an illegal worker here. No, I’m serious. He was supposed to be at school when he arrived on a student visa. He wasn’t at school. He was breaking the law. And he talks about all these illegal immigrants who come towards us? Biden said while campaigning Saturday in Pittsburgh at a union hall.

The Washington Post reported that Musk worked in the country illegally while on a student visa. The newspaper, citing company documents, former business associates and court documents, said Musk arrived in Palo Alto, California, in 1995 for a graduate program at Stanford University. but had never enrolled in classes, instead working on his startup.”

Musk wrote on » Musk added: “The Biden puppet is lying. »

Investors in Musk’s company, Zip2, were concerned about the possibility of deportation for their founder, according to the report, and gave him a deadline to obtain a work visa. The newspaper also cites a 2005 email Musk sent to his Tesla co-founders, acknowledging that he did not have permission to be in the United States when he launched Zip2.

According to the story, that email was submitted as evidence in a now-closed California defamation lawsuit and indicated that Musk applied to Stanford so he could legally stay in the country.

Musk is now the richest man in the world. He has committed more than $70 million to help Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and other Republican candidates achieve victory on November 5, and is one of the party’s largest donors this election season. He headlined events in the final stretch of the race for the White House, often echoing Trump’s dark anti-immigration rhetoric.

Trump has pledged to give Musk a role in his administration if he wins next month.

There was no immediate response to messages left with X and Tesla seeking comment from Musk.

The associated press