Alex Soros posted a short, celebratory message on X after Brazil’s presidential election result. Elon Musk replied with two words that set off a new round of billionaire-versus-billionaire sparring. The exchange pulled in conservative commentators, a White House aide, and even a former president’s son. Here is what happened, who said what, and why the voting rules became the center of the argument.
Alex Soros’s X Post Sparks a Million-Dollar Reply
Alex Soros, the son of billionaire investor George Soros and chairman of the Open Society Foundations, did not hold back after Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil’s runoff election on October 25, 2026.
“Lula Lula Lula! Congrats to Brazil for standing up against authoritarianism once again!” Alex Soros wrote on X.
The post quickly drew attention. Robby Starbuck, a conservative activist and former music video director, quote-posted Soros’s message with a long reply. Starbuck claimed that Soros was “enthusiastically” approving of a court decision to extend voting hours in certain areas, and he tied it to Donald Trump.
“Someone let @realDonaldTrump know that Alex Soros just enthusiastically approved of naming your personal lawyer to the Supreme Court, and then asking them to extend voting hours in friendly counties after your opponents’ good counties shut their polls,” Robby Starbuck wrote.
Elon Musk, the owner of X and the world’s richest person, replied directly to Starbuck’s post. His response was brief.
“Yeah, that was shady,” Elon Musk wrote.
The word “shady” became the headline of the day. Musk has a long history of criticizing George Soros and the Open Society Foundations. In 2023, Musk compared George Soros to the X-Men villain Magneto. The new reply added another chapter to that feud, this time aimed at Alex.
A Long History Between Musk and the Soros Family
Elon Musk has attacked George Soros repeatedly on X. In 2023, he wrote that Soros “hates humanity” and compared him to the comic book villain Magneto. Alex Soros took over the family’s $25 billion empire in 2023 and has been more openly political than his father. In January 2025, Alex told the Financial Times that he wanted to “contain” Donald Trump and called the president and his allies “bullies who need to be stopped.”
That history explains why a single word from Musk carried so much weight. The reply was not just about Brazil. It was the latest round in a running argument between two of the most visible billionaire families in American politics.
Why Brazil’s Voting Hours Changed
The argument on X centered on a decision by Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin. Just before polls were set to close at 5 p.m. on October 25, Zanin ordered a two-hour extension, allowing voting to continue until 7 p.m. in sections that were still open.
The extension was not a one-sided request. Both Lula’s campaign and Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaign asked for more time. Lula’s team cited problems with public transport in São Paulo and Salvador. Bolsonaro’s team pointed to heavy rain and flooding in southern regions.
Flávio Bolsonaro still called the decision “unacceptable.” He argued that Zanin, a former lawyer for Lula, had “changed the rules of the game in the middle of the game.”
“It is impossible to recognize the election results, given the circumstances under which things unfolded. We will take legal action. We will ask for this election to be annulled,” Flávio Bolsonaro told reporters.
Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court reported that Lula won 51.79% of the vote, while Bolsonaro took 48.22%. The margin was more than 4.4 million votes.
A Comeback Win for Lula
Lula trailed in the first round on October 4, winning 45% to Bolsonaro’s 47%. He came back in the runoff, a result that no candidate had managed since Brazil’s return to democracy in 1985. Flávio Bolsonaro had led in several polls before the vote, making the final result a surprise for his campaign.
Lula, who turns 81 in October 2026, first served as president from 2003 to 2011. He won a third term in 2022 by defeating Jair Bolsonaro, Flávio’s father. Jair Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup after that loss.
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Katie Miller and Donald Trump Jr. Join the Criticism
Katie Miller, a political advisor and podcaster married to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, posted her own reaction to Soros’s message.
“The Soros family knows how to fix elections,” Katie Miller wrote on X.
Donald Trump Jr. also weighed in on the voting extension. He argued that a conservative government in Brazil would have faced a different reaction from the American press.
“If a conservative government in Brazil did this, everyone in the mainstream press in America would lose their minds, but I guess they’re just choosing to be silent because it’s all for the cause,” Donald Trump Jr. wrote.
World leaders congratulated Lula after the result. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on X: “Long live democracy; the people of Brazil won. Congratulations, President Lula!” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders also posted messages of support.
Lula’s fourth term is set to begin with an inauguration ceremony on January 5, 2027.
Also Read: Stephen King Explains Why Elon Musk Is “Afraid” of James Talarico: “All About the Benjamins”
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