It’s often said that all arguments boil down to ontological differences. If Imane Khelif is described as a woman of color, she could just as easily be labeled a colored woman—two phrases that may appear similar but are worlds apart in meaning. This semantic nuance hints at the deeper issue these three billionaires seem to have with her. The real divide is between those with privilege and those striving to gain more of it. Ideally, the Olympic Games should be a place where talent, not gender, ethnicity, religion, or privilege, is the only measure of success. Imane Khelif is an exceptional athlete who rightfully earned the women’s Gold medal as the best female boxer in the world, reminiscent of Jesse Owens’ triumph in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Naturally, this has upset the established privileged class.

With Trump, the reason is clear—he’s a narcissistic, racist, misogynistic billionaire who doesn’t hide his biases. Musk’s approach is more childish, but the result is the same. His crusade against transgender women seems to be fueled by personal issues, given his son’s transition, and Khelif provided him with a convenient target. Outwardly, she has a masculine appearance—something that was also true of many of the nuns who raised me. Musk’s shortcomings as a parent are obvious, yet rather than confronting that, he chooses to rail against what he calls the “woke trans mind virus.” As for Rowling, the issue is subtler. While she presents herself as a feminist, she may have trouble accepting that a masculine-looking, Islamic, Berber woman could win the Gold. For her, Khelif doesn’t fit the expected mold, and that seems to be the problem.