In an unexpected twist that has rocked the worlds of business, politics and   sport, Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has launched what is shaping up to be the biggest and most controversial media campaign in history.

With a surprising cast of allies, including Harry Potter author JK Rowling, the campaign aims to criticise and destroy the figure of Imane Khelif, a prominent transgender activist and athlete, as well as the LGBT group that supports trans participation in women’s   sports.

The announcement of the campaign came in a series of posts by Musk on his Twitter account, where the billionaire founder of Tesla and SpaceX not only expressed his support for Rowling, but also his intention to influence the global conversation about women’s sport and the inclusion of trans athletes.

In a viral message, Musk claimed that inclusion policies in women’s sports are “distorting competition” and that the participation of transgender people, such as Imane Khelif, could “threaten the integrity of women in sports.”

The launch of the campaign is surprising, not only because of the scale of the resources behind it, but because of the unexpected alliance between Elon Musk and JK Rowling.

Both have been polarising figures in their respective fields, but their views on the inclusion of trans people in women’s sport align.

JK Rowling, known for her controversial views on gender identity, has been under fire since making comments about trans women in sports, which she strongly opposes.

Her remarks have been met with a mixed reception, being hailed by some but condemned by human rights activists and LGBT advocacy groups.

With Musk at the helm, Rowling is now joining a campaign that promises to radically change the global conversation about the rights of transgender athletes.

Imane Khelif, a young transgender athlete who has become a leading advocate for the inclusion of trans people in women’s sports, is the main target of this campaign.

Khelif, who has competed in several sports disciplines at a professional level, has been one of the most prominent voices in favour of adapting sports policies to include trans people without compromising fairness in competition.

“These types of media campaigns only seek to create more division and hatred, while attempting to erase the progress we have made towards the inclusion of trans people in sport,” Khelif said in a press release.

“This is not about unfair competition, it is about being respected as human beings. Sports should be a place of inclusion, not exclusion.”