Before driving into the details, it’s important to first grasp the fundamentals of The Royal Society, The Royal Society is the United Kingdom’s national academy of sciences, founded in 1660. It is one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious scientific institutions. The Society is dedicated to promoting excellence in science, supporting research, and advising governments on scientific matters. The Society elects Fellows (FRS)—scientists who have made significant contributions to their fields. Fellows include prominent scientists, Nobel laureates, and leading researchers. and also It provides grants and funding for scientific research in the UK and internationally. The Society also publishes leading scientific journals, including Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, the world’s oldest scientific journal.
Notable Fellows of the Royal Society (Past & Present):
Isaac Newton (Physicist & Mathematician)
Charles Darwin (Evolutionary Biologist)
Albert Einstein (Theoretical Physicist)
Stephen Hawking (Theoretical Physicist)
Elon Musk (Entrepreneur, elected in 2018)
The Society operates independently but has a Royal Charter granted by the British monarchy. It is based in London at Carlton House Terrace.
The Royal Society Faces Controversy Over Elon Musk’s Fellowship
A Historic Institution in Crisis
The Royal Society, one of the world’s most prestigious scientific institutions, is grappling with a controversy that raises fundamental questions about its role and responsibilities. Established 365 years ago, the British institution has counted luminaries like Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking among its members. Election to the Royal Society is a distinguished honor, granted after a rigorous selection process, and members must adhere to a strict code of conduct.
Recently, calls have emerged to revoke Elon Musk’s fellowship over alleged violations of this code, igniting a heated debate within the scientific community.
Growing Calls for Musk’s Expulsion
The debate over Musk’s membership follows historical precedents. In 1775, German scientist and writer Rudolf Erich Raspe was expelled from the Royal Society for fraud and breaches of trust. Today, critics argue that Musk’s actions pose a “threat to science.”
Dorothy Bishop, an emeritus professor of developmental neuropsychology at the University of Oxford, was the first Royal Society fellow to resign over the matter. In 2024, she filed two complaints against Musk, but the Society’s legal consultations did not lead to any action. Andrew Millar of the University of Edinburgh followed suit with his own complaint in February 2025.
Additionally, nearly 3,500 scientists have signed an open letter to Royal Society President Adrian Smith, demanding Musk’s expulsion. The letter, authored by Stephen Curry, emeritus professor of structural biology at Imperial College London, echoes widespread concerns.
AI pioneer and 2024 Nobel Prize winner Geoffrey Hinton also supported Musk’s removal, writing on X (formerly Twitter): “I think Elon Musk should be expelled from the British Royal Society. Not because he peddles conspiracy theories and makes Nazi salutes, but because of the huge damage he is doing to scientific institutions in the US.”
Musk dismissed the controversy, responding: “Only craven, insecure fools care about awards and memberships.”
What have been the charges?
Many fellows believe the billionaire’s inflammatory remarks on British politicians have breached the Royal Society’s code of conduct. Scientists have also expressed concerns regarding Mr. Musk’s conduct within the current Donald Trump administration. In his leading position at the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (or DOGE), Mr. Musk has overseen unprecedented cuts to funding meant for scientific research. He has also been spreading false material and engaging in political propaganda on his social media platform, X. His company Neuralink recently reported developing a novel brain-computer interface. Although this is a worthwhile objective, the research methodology is distinguished by Mr. Musk’s resistance to allowing others to influence his methods. This has resulted in allegations of non-compliance with ‘Good Laboratory Practice’ regulations. Additionally, Mr. Musk’s slanderous charges against public scientists like Anthony Fauci and other public personae have also drawn criticism from a number of scientists. Mr. Musk is also accused of encouraging vaccine hesitancy and baselessly doubting the foundations of climate change science.
Why Musk Hasn’t Been Expelled
The Royal Society counts more than 1,700 fellows, and at least 60 of them have signed Mr. Curry’s letter to have Mr. Musk expelled. But not everyone in the scientific community agrees with it. For instance,
Nobel laureate Andre Geim of Manchester University stated, “Musk is certainly an eccentric, but his achievements beat those of any of his critics in the Royal Society. Very few can say that they achieved similar in their lives.”
According to the Society, Mr. Musk was elected in 2018 ostensibly in appreciation of his contributions. He was the lead designer at SpaceX, where he oversaw the development of reusable rockets and spacecraft for missions to earth orbit. He oversaw the design, engineering, and manufacturing of products for the electric car company Tesla, which first popularised EVs. He also developed ultra-high bandwidth brain-machine interfaces to connect the brain to computers at Neuralink. It might be politically challenging to revoke Mr. Musk’s fellowship at a time of increasing tensions between the U.S. and the U.K. Some have claimed that removing Mr. Musk could undermine public confidence in science as it would erode the integrity of science by obfuscating its separation from politics.
What’s Next?
Following a meeting on March 3, 2025, the Royal Society has not taken any action against Musk. Its post-meeting statement did not mention him by name but emphasized plans to counter misinformation and ideological attacks on science.
As the controversy continues, the debate raises a critical question: Should a scientific institution prioritize intellectual achievements over ethical conduct, or must it hold its fellows accountable for their actions beyond the lab?