Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, sparked controversy by making a hand gesture reminiscent of the Nazis at a celebration held the day before the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, causes controversy by making a hand gesture reminiscent of the Nazis at a celebration event the day before Donald J. Trump's inauguration as the 47th President. /Courtesy of Yonhap News

At a celebration rally held at Capital One Arena in Washington on the night of the 20th (local time), Musk said, “I thank the American citizens who chose President Trump at this crossroads of human civilization.”

Musk then placed his hand on his chest and extended his arm overhead with the palm facing down. After turning around, he repeated the gesture to those behind him. The hand gesture Musk made sparked controversy as a 'fascist salute.' This salute, extending the arm straight with the palm facing downward, was used during the regime of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and is illegal in some European countries, including Germany.

The British Guardian reported that "social media users expressed shock at Musk's hand gesture." Eric Feigl-Ding, a public health expert who worked in the first Trump administration, also noted, "Oh my, Musk just did a Nazi salute live on air."

CNN reported it as a "shocking behavior," and the BBC criticized that "the controversy continues on X (formerly Twitter), which he owns."

In a subsequent speech, Musk expressed his support for President Trump by stating, "Safe cities, safe borders, reasonable expenditure," and "I will take humanity to Mars." He emphasized, “My heart goes to you,” placing his hand on his chest and said, "The future of civilization is guaranteed because of you."

Meanwhile, President Trump expressed his support for Musk's "Mars exploration" in his inaugural address, stating, "I will send astronauts to plant the American flag on Mars." Musk immediately responded with a thumbs-up and cheered.