The richest man in the world, Elon Musk, is betting heavily on Donald Trump as the next president of the United States. The tycoon has not only expressed his support through social networks and at public events, including the rally in which he participated on October 5, but he has also loosened his pocket. In the third quarter, Musk donated 74.95 million dollars (69 million euros, at the current exchange rate) to America PAC, a political action committee that aims to support the former president’s campaign, as reported by that entity to the Federal Electoral Commission.
Musk donated the first five million to America PAC on July 3; another five million, on July 10; 4.95 million, on July 18; 7.5 million on August 5 and the same number the next day; 15 million on August 20, and 30 million on September 5, according to the registered information. In total, 74.95 million dollars in three months. In the document, Musk identifies himself as an Austin resident and a SpaceX employee.
These disbursements barely represent 0.03% of his fortune, valued at $241 billion and mainly concentrated in his stakes in the car manufacturer Tesla, the satellite and rocket company SpaceX, and the artificial intelligence firm xAI. He also owns the social network During Joe Biden’s presidency, Musk’s fortune has increased by about $40 billion.
The different organizations supporting the campaigns are obliged to publish in detail the contributions received on a quarterly basis. Although it had already emerged that Musk had entered the campaign as a Trump donor, with amounts that were presumed to be multimillion-dollar, this is the first time it appears in official documents. The deadline to present them expired at midnight this Tuesday and America PAC presented theirs on the brink of the limit. America PAC has already spent the bulk of the money raised, which amounts to $83.7 million so far this year, according to the document. At the end of September it had about four million dollars left in cash. Any campaign donations you make will not be reported until after the election.
Musk openly asked to vote for Donald Trump after the attack he suffered in Butler (Pennsylvania) on July 13, in which he was slightly wounded by a bullet in the ear. Two years ago he already asked to vote for the Republicans in the legislative elections. Relations between Musk and Trump have not always been fluid.
Musk served on Trump’s business advisory boards during his first term, but resigned in June 2017 after Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the landmark Paris climate agreement. In 2022, Trump posted on Truth Social that Musk went to the White House asking for public support for his companies and that Trump could have said “get on your knees and beg,” and Musk would have done it. However, they were ironing out rough edges and their harmony has been increasing.
The former president announced at an event in New York a month ago that, if he wins the election, he would put Musk at the head of a commission “charged with conducting a complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government and making recommendations for reforms.” drastic.” “Elon, since he is not very busy, has agreed to head that task force,” added Trump, who praised the billionaire as “the biggest cutter.” “I look forward to serving the United States if the opportunity presents itself. “I don’t need a salary, or title, or recognition,” Musk then tweeted, linking the news that Trump would count on him.
Later, Musk enthusiastically participated on October 5 in the rally that Trump gave in the same place where he suffered the July attack. The billionaire, who shamelessly joined the former president’s hoaxes, said that it was “necessary” for Trump to win “to preserve democracy in the United States.” If he does not win, he launched into saying without any basis, “these will be the last elections.”
Elon Musk’s political action committee is trying to mobilize voters in swing states, especially Pennsylvania. The group offers salaries of $30 an hour to those who go door-to-door to ask for votes for Trump, trying to counteract the ground advantage that the Harris campaign has. It is also spending money on digital advertising campaigns, some aimed at young people.
Through its X account, America PAC requested signatures for a statement in defense of freedom of expression and the right to bear arms. And he asked for help to attract voters: “For every voter registered in a decisive state that you recommend and who signs the petition, you will receive $47,” said the committee, which aims to achieve one million signatures. The next president will be the 47th. With these payments, the richest man in the world is not buying votes, but he is approaching that border.
Now, in addition, he sets signing the petition and voting as conditions for attending a series of campaign events that he has scheduled for the coming days. “From tomorrow night through Monday I will be giving a series of talks throughout Pennsylvania. If you want to attend one of my talks, there is no entrance fee. You just have to have signed our petition (…) and have voted in these elections,” he tweeted this Wednesday. Pennsylvania is the most important of the decisive states, as it has 19 votes in the electoral college. Whoever prevails there will have great chances of reaching the White House.
Kamala Harris breaks records
With the almost $75 million contributed in the third quarter, Musk becomes one of the most prominent donors to the Trump campaign. She does not surpass, however, Miriam Adelson, widow of Sheldon Adelson, owner of the Las Vegas Sands empire and reference shareholder of the Dallas Mavericks, the NBA team. Adelson contributed $25 million in July, another $25 million in August and $45 million more in September to his own organization, Preserve America, in addition to another $5 million he had already donated the previous quarter. With this, the Israeli-American has given 100 million dollars to her political action committee aimed at supporting Trumpism. Adelson’s fortune is valued by Bloomberg at about $37 billion, making her the richest Israeli.
The latest election documents on file also show that Kamala Harris’ campaign raised a record $633 million in the third quarter through the Harris Victory Fund. Partial data provided by the campaign had already shown how donations have skyrocketed since the vice president replaced the president, Joe Biden, on the Democratic ballot.
Unlike Preserve America or America PAC (which are superPACs, with fewer fundraising limitations and which, in theory, must act independently without coordinating with candidates), the Harris Victory Fund is a proper campaign committee, in which donations are limited to a maximum of $929,600. Among those who made that contribution are Melinda French Gates, Bill Gates’ ex-wife, and Hollywood representative Ari Emmanuel.