Elon Musk spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars to ensure Donald Trump was elected.
Documents show that the Tesla owner nicknamed the ‘First Buddy’ given how close he has become to the president-elect, opened his chequebook in the final months of the campaign.
Newly released Federal Election Commission show that the Tesla and SpaceX executive gave a total of $238 million (£185.5 million) to a super PAC (Political Action Committee) that he founded this year, America PAC, which worked to turn out voters on Trump’s behalf in key states.
But, he was also the financial backer of other groups that emerged in the election’s final days. Musk’s unprecedented spending spree included a series of targeted initiatives, from a $20 million (£15.65 million) PAC to reframe Trump’s stance on abortion to multi-million-dollar grassroots campaigns designed to energise voters and swing key states.
One of his most brazen moves was creating the “RBG PAC,” named after the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Its mission was to soften Trump’s image on abortion, a contentious issue in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade that protected termination rights.
The RBG PAC ran ads showing Trump and Ginsburg with the tagline “Great Minds Think Alike,” falsely suggesting the two aligned on abortion policy. Critics, including Ginsburg’s family, were outraged. Her daughter released a scathing statement calling the ads “nothing short of appalling.”
Though the campaign was criticised as misleading, it showed Musk’s willingness to use such ploys to soften Trump’s vulnerabilities. Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings later revealed Musk’s role in funding the PAC, though its leader, May Mailman, had previously hinted at his involvement.
Musk’s spending spree extended far beyond the RBG PAC. He funnelled $40.5 million (£31.73 million) into a sweepstakes initiative that awarded $1 million (£783,450) daily to petition signers pledging support for the Constitution, effectively mobilising Trump’s voter base.
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At one point, Musk was contributing $25 million weekly to his America PAC, which played a central role in ground-level voter engagement and staffing efforts. The funds helped Trump’s campaign carry out a grassroots strategy, ensuring a strong showing in key battleground states.
Musk also contributed $12 million (£9.4 million) to Republican-aligned Super PACs, including the Senate Leadership Fund and the Sentinel Action Fund, to reclaim GOP control of the Senate. Even after Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris was declared, Musk continued to donate, contributing $4 million (£3.13 million) to America PAC to sustain post-election voter engagement.
The SpaceX owner’s influence has only grown in the early weeks of Trump’s transition. Musk has become a fixture at the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago home and has grown into a close advisor. Trump appointed Musk and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to co-chair the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasked with cutting federal regulations and slashing the $6.5 trillion (£5.1 trillion) U.S. bureaucracy.
Musk met with lawmakers behind closed doors and outlined plans to maintain a “naughty and nice” list of legislators based on their support for budget-cutting proposals. Lawmakers who attended described Musk as assertive and deeply invested in carrying out the so-called “Save America” agenda for Trump’s second term.
News of the billionaire’s unprecedented involvement in Trump’s campaign and transition has sparked heated debate. Critics argue his vast wealth has allowed him to wield outsized influence, potentially undermining democratic norms.
“This level of financial intervention raises serious ethical concerns about the role of billionaires in our political process,” said campaign finance reform advocate Laura Mitchell.
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