Hyderabad, July 24 -- Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the world's richest person, has defended his views on immigration and Western values after being asked directly whether he considers himself anti-Muslim during an interview with The Economist.

The question was posed by The Economist editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes during a wide-ranging discussion on politics, immigration and artificial intelligence. After pausing briefly, Musk did not give a direct yes-or-no answer. Instead, he said he opposed people entering a country with what he described as "antithetical views".

"I'm against rape and murder. and the imposition of rules and laws that are contrary to what we've come to accept in the West," Musk said. He argued that concerns ar...