Elon Musk, the wealthiest person in the world, has reportedly invested over $250 million in support of Donald Trump and other Republican contenders, as disclosed by recent campaign finance records. Musk’s generous contribution has made him the most significant donor to any political party in the 2024 election cycle, according to the Federal Election Commission files.
The majority of Musk’s funding came through his own political action committee (PAC), America PAC, to which he contributed a staggering $239 million. However, the records also revealed Musk’s involvement in another PAC, named after the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg – “RBG PAC.” This PAC has been criticized for running advertisements that falsely claim Ginsburg supported views on abortion similar to Trump’s.
Clara Spera, Ginsburg’s granddaughter, expressed her disdain to The New York Times in October, stating the use of her grandmother’s name to support Trump’s reelection campaign was “nothing short of appalling.” Ginsburg was a well-known advocate for abortion rights, while Trump had appointed three conservative justices to the Supreme Court who voted in favor of overturning the federal right to abortion.
Musk invested $20.5 million into the controversial RBG PAC, which was its sole funding source. The PAC ran ads highlighting Trump’s assurance that he would veto a nationwide abortion ban if elected, while also referring to Ginsburg’s opinion that the Roe v. Wade ruling was too extreme.
In addition, Musk contributed $10 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which backs Republican Senate candidates, and $3 million to the MAHA Alliance PAC, associated with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative.
Musk and a few other donors used the America PAC as their primary campaign tool, organizing a voting drive through various methods such as door-to-door canvassing, text messages, phone calls, and advertisements.
America PAC’s largest expenditure was a $40.5 million payment to United States of America, Inc, a company recently registered under an address linked to Musk, though the specifics of how these funds were used remain unclear.
In October, Musk pledged a daily giveaway of $1 million to a registered voter in Pennsylvania who signed his petition. Despite legal challenges, this initiative was allowed to continue. However, Musk now faces several lawsuits from participants who argue that it was falsely advertised as a lottery.
Musk’s rise as a crucial political donor was swift and unexpected. In March, he stated on X, his own social media platform, that he would not support either presidential candidate financially. But in early July, he made his first donation of $5 million to America PAC, publicly endorsed Trump ten days later, and soon became a pivotal figure in Trump’s campaign.
Following Trump’s victory, Musk was appointed to head a new initiative known as the Department of Government Efficiency alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Republican presidential hopeful. The initiative aims to cut $500 billion in annual spending and reduce federal government positions.
This article was written by Julia Ingram, a data journalist for CBS News Confirmed, specializing in data analysis and computation to cover misinformation, AI, and social media.
