Podcast Summary: Rebel News Podcast — Ezra Levant Show

Episode: Why would Elon Musk invest $20 billion into Mississippi instead of Canada?
Host: Ezra Levant (Rebel News)
Date: January 10, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of The Ezra Levant Show explores why Elon Musk’s company XAI chose to invest $20 billion in a new data center in Mississippi instead of Canada. Host Ezra Levant delves into economic comparisons between Canadian provinces and U.S. states, business climates, political culture, and how these factors influence where major corporations make megaproject investments. The show then pivots to Canadian firearms policy, featuring an in-depth interview with gun policy expert Daniel Fritter, before briefly discussing Rebel News' free speech activism at York University.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Elon Musk and Mississippi: The Story Behind the $20 Billion Investment

• Announcement & Local Reaction [01:38]

  • The episode features a direct quote from Mississippi’s governor on the historic size and scope of Musk’s investment:

    • “We are here to announce the largest private investment in Mississippi history. A 20 billion plus dollar investment by XAI in South Haven ... hundreds of permanent jobs, thousands of indirect subcontracting jobs...” — Governor Tate Reeves [01:38]

  • Background: Mississippi, the poorest U.S. state, often caricatured in media, is not typically seen as an economic powerhouse, yet it attracted one of the biggest recent tech investments in North America.

• Purchasing Power Parity & North American Prosperity [02:51]

  • Levant unpacks comparisons between U.S. states and Canadian provinces regarding purchasing power parity (PPP), highlighting unexpected findings:

    • New York, Massachusetts, and California top the list, with Alberta being the first Canadian province, down at 20th place.
    • “Mississippi is at 57th place, but that means it's still ahead of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick ... the poorest people on the continent.” — Ezra Levant [05:29]

  • Notably, the average African American family in the U.S. has a higher PPP income than families in some Atlantic Canadian provinces—a counterpoint to Canadian perceptions about U.S. race relations and prosperity.

• Why Not Canada? Political & Economic Analysis [07:15]

  • Levant argues Canada has made itself unattractive to major investors:
    • “When was the last time you saw any company actually invest 10, $20 billion in Canada? ... The horrendous provincial NDP government in Alberta that one time and the last 10 years of federal liberals pretty much ended that.” — Ezra Levant [07:44]
    • Government tends to subsidize “fake industries” (e.g., electric vehicle batteries) and policy unpredictability deters real investors.

• Business Environment & Culture: Comparing the U.S. and Canada [09:18]

  • Levant recounts episodes of antagonism toward Musk in regions like California and even Ontario. He references the infamous "F*** Elon Musk" tweet by a labor leader, Musk’s “Message received” response, and subsequent Tesla moves to Texas, implying business culture matters.

    • “Do you think he would choose to come to Canada where the governments are anti-business to begin with, where so many politicians are just as spiteful as that Gonzalez woman?” — Ezra Levant [10:54]

  • Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s politicized cancellation of a Starlink (Musk-owned) rural internet program is highlighted as warning to potential investors about political volatility:

    • “I don't want to deal with someone that's attacking our country. ... I can't do business with someone that's doing that.” — Doug Ford [12:01]

2. Why Mississippi Attracts Megaprojects [13:00]

• Economic and Practical Advantages

  • Tax incentives: Mississippi and local governments offer major tax breaks instead of cash subsidies. Levant notes, “Their only offer is to reduce taxes, not to actually shovel 50 billion tax dollars into the company like Canada did with electric vehicle batteries.” [17:49]
  • Fast approval and “insane execution speed”: Highlighted by direct Twitter banter between Musk and the governor.

    • Governor Tate Reeves: “…insane execution speed. We can get you from spending money to making money faster than any state in America and that's our competitive advantage.” [18:52]

    • Musk: “Excited to invest in Mississippi.” [19:10]

• Infrastructure & Energy Costs

  • Industrial electricity in Ontario is about 50% more costly than in Mississippi—a key factor in data center site selection.

• Paralysis in Canadian Infrastructure

  • Infrastructure projects face endless delays and regulatory hurdles:

    • “The MOU that Mark Carney grudgingly signed with Alberta suggests that a new pipeline… might get built by 2040.” [19:44]

3. Canadian Firearms Policy, Gun Control, and Mark Carney [20:33]

• Policy Inertia and Bureaucratic Expansion

  • Interview with Daniel Fritter (Caliber Magazine) examines the federal government’s “gun buyback” program under Mark Carney:

    • “He [Carney] hasn't made any new policy announcements. It feels like there's inertia ... the buyback program has been the single largest source of new hires. So there's a ton of people, 153 to be specific, whose jobs are managing this program.” — Daniel Fritter [21:17]

  • Examples of inefficiency: A Cape Breton pilot buyback program netted just 25 guns at $7,000 management cost per gun.

• Symbolism Over Substance

  • The show discusses how gun policy is used for political messaging rather than solving gun crime, to the detriment of lawful owners and efficient policy.

    • “Maybe that's the actual purpose of Canadian gun control. Not to take criminal guns off the streets, but to provide unlimited employment for anti-gun activists.” — Ezra Levant [22:52]

    • Fritter concurs, noting how gun policy is now “government by TikTok”—headline-driven and lacking expertise.

• Contradictions and Ironies in Policy

  • The episode mocks the government’s proposal to arm civil servants as a “militia” (in case of a hypothetical U.S. invasion) while attempting to seize guns from farmers, ranchers, and hunters for Ukraine.

4. Free Speech at York University: On-the-Ground Activism [33:26]

• Activism Recap
  • Levant describes a Rebel News visit to York University to test perceptions about free speech on campus.
  • Students were generally supportive of open discourse:

    • “Everyone has a right to free speech, even if it's an opinion you disagree with ... I think it's very important to have conversations and dialogue as its university campus.” — York University student [33:37]

  • No pushback from university security, suggesting the importance of direct action and courage in defending free speech.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Musk’s exit from California:

  • “She said, ‘f*** Elon Musk.’ He said, ‘message received.’ And then he moved the corporate headquarters... to Texas. ... He has taken Ms. Gonzalez's advice to heart.” — Ezra Levant [09:52]

• On Canadian policy paralysis:

  • “For $20 billion projects ... you might get that oil pipeline ... by 2040. Don't give up, guys.” — Ezra Levant [19:53]

• On the government’s mishandling of gun buybacks:

  • “Their entire project in Cape Breton ... yielded a grand total, get this, of 25 guns. ... And by the way, they spent an average of $7,000 managing this program per gun.” — Ezra Levant [20:43]

• Firearms policy expert on the real purpose of buyback programs:

  • “Guns are a very popular whipping boy ... because they can pitch guns as largely an American sort of thing, where a lot of Canadians are feeling anti-American sentiment, it leverages that sort of specific issue.” — Daniel Fritter [23:26]

• On government irony regarding arming civil servants:

  • “This notion of, you know, the civil service becoming an armed militia at the same time as they're, they can't even figure out how to take the guns away from people that have them is just a ... pretty big one for a government that can't figure out how to take guns away from people who legally own them.” — Daniel Fritter [26:25]

• Free speech student testimonial:

  • “I don't think feelings should be protected. I think everyone has a right to free speech.” — York University student [33:46]

Important Segment Timestamps

• [01:38] — Mississippi Governor announces XAI investment
• [07:44] — Ezra on why Canada fails to attract megaprojects
• [10:54] — Business climate and politicians' hostility to investors
• [12:01] — Doug Ford Starlink program cancellation
• [17:49] — Tax incentives vs. subsidies for megaprojects
• [20:43] — Cape Breton gun buyback debacle
• [21:17] — Daniel Fritter on buyback policy inertia
• [23:26] — Guns as political scapegoat
• [26:25] — Irony of proposed civil servant militia
• [33:26] — Rebel News free speech activism at York University

Tone and Language

The episode maintains Ezra Levant’s signature provocative and sarcastic tone, mixing data analysis with biting political critique. Guest Daniel Fritter delivers measured, industry-insider perspectives on firearms policy, underscoring the inertia and superficiality pervading the current government approach.

Summary

Ezra Levant contends that Elon Musk’s $20 billion XAI investment in Mississippi is a lesson for Canadians: business goes where policy, speed, energy prices, and political attitudes are competitive. He highlights the self-inflicted wounds of Canada’s regulatory and political culture, contrasted with U.S. states’ aggressive courtship of industry. In the second half, Levant and guest Daniel Fritter critique the Canadian government’s approach to gun control, pointing to wasteful programs and politicization, while also mocking recent contradictions in policy. The episode closes with a report that free speech is, practically speaking, alive and well at York University—if people are simply willing to test the status quo.

For further details, listen at provided timestamps for unabridged context and firsthand speaker tone.