In Moscow, Elon Musk's father made an appearance to talk about the future. As guest of honor at a forum organized by Russian figures known for Orthodox conservatism and patriotic education, 79-year-old Errol Musk spoke about the "future" on Tuesday, June 10, before a select audience.

The broad topic allowed the South African businessman to share a few platitudes on various subjects. Along the way, he offered a real-or-imagined scoop about the unexpected origins of SpaceX and his son's space ventures. "[Elon] was in Russia, trying to buy a rocket in Russia, where, as we all know, the best rockets were made. They did not give him a rocket, they thought he was joking," Musk said with a laugh.

This unusual conference aimed to be as grand as its title: "Future Forum 2050." It was organized and funded by conservative tycoon Konstantin Malofeev and ultranationalist ideologue Alexander Dugin. Malofeev owns Tsargrad, an Orthodox television channel promoting traditional Russian values in opposition to what it sees as Western decline. Dugin is the author of numerous essays celebrating Russian imperialism and military expansionism. Both men – known to wield influence within the Kremlin and under Western sanctions – also invited American conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and British populist political figure George Galloway.

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