“People in Africa Aren’t Starving”: Trillionaire Elon Musk Makes Hunger Claims Amid Call to Help

• A billionaire’s remarks about hunger triggered a wave of reactions online
• Past global data on food insecurity re-entered the conversation, stating that hunger worsened in parts of the world
• The discussion quickly shifted into a wider argument about what is really driving food shortages in parts of Africa

Elon Musk took to X on 20 June to share his views on wealth inequality and call for higher taxes on extremely rich people.

The recently named trillionaire rejected claims that people across Africa are starving, saying food shortages mainly happen during wars rather than being a wider issue. He also suggested that invasion would be the only way to deal with those situations.

“People in Africa are not starving. This is a myth. The only time there is a shortage of food is when there is a war going on. The only way to solve that would be an invasion!"

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The conversation started after X user Mrs B argued that huge amounts of money spent on aid over the years have failed to solve poverty and homelessness. She later criticised calls to “tax the rich”, saying they do not fix the real problem.

She claimed that trillions of dollars have gone to Africa since 1960, but hunger still exists, arguing that corruption and poor leadership play a bigger role than a lack of money.

UN flags global hunger trends, Africa still struggling

A 2025 UN report shows global hunger has slightly declined, but Africa is experiencing a worsening crisis. About 673 million people faced hunger worldwide in 2024, with over 307 million in Africa alone.

While regions like South Asia and Latin America saw improvements, Africa and Western Asia continue to struggle due to conflict, climate shocks, weak infrastructure, and rising food prices. The report also highlights that food inflation between 2021 and 2023 worsened access to affordable, healthy diets, especially in low-income countries.

The UN warns that if current trends continue, more than 500 million people could remain undernourished by 2030, with Africa accounting for the majority of cases.

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View the X post below:

Clashes over causes of hunger

Some users agreed that corruption and mismanagement are central issues, while others pushed back, arguing Musk oversimplified complex humanitarian realities. This is what viewers had to say on his page:

Sophie ❤️ ⭐ said:

“Invasion to solve a food shortage is certainly a take”

Pro Jileka said:

“People are starving in Africa. Help them. You won't go to the grave with so much wealth”

C said:

“The population of Africa has grown significantly… Truly, starving.”

healthtuner said:

“Hunger across Africa has multiple causes beyond war, like climate shocks like drought and flooding, economic instability, poor infrastructure, and global price spikes all play major roles…”

Ichie capalot said:

“You should come to Nigeria 🇳🇬. You would know the definition of starving”

Stelios Sykiotis 🇬🇷🇬🇧 said:

“When you live on a continent with a perfect climate for agriculture, receive trillions in foreign aid, and still can’t build basic infrastructure for food and water, the problem isn’t colonialism or lack of money. It’s you.”

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LordEmee1 said:

“The corruption in Africa is the reason Africa is still poor. Africa has enough mineral resources… but the resources landed in the hands of bad leaders…”

More Briefly News Stories on Elon Musk

• Elon Musk has reportedly brought a South African professional onto the SpaceX board, highlighting continued ties between the company and South African talent.
• Errol Musk sparked backlash after defending aspects of apartheid during a heated interview, drawing strong criticism online.
• A report covers a prank involving a daughter claiming Elon Musk is her boyfriend, which circulated online and prompted social media reactions.

Source: Briefly News