Billionaire Elon Musk gave $193 million to his pro-Trump super PAC through Election Day, federal filings released Thursday show—and pumped an additional $20 million into a separate Trump-aligned PAC—solidifying his place as one of President-elect Donald Trump’s biggest billionaire supporters.
KEY FACTS
Musk gave $120 million to America PAC, the pro-Trump super PAC he leads, between Oct. 17 and Nov. 25, according to Federal Election Commission filings, with $75 million of that donated prior to Election Day.
That’s on top of $118.6 million Musk had already reported giving to the PAC prior to Oct. 17, adding up to $239 million in total—or about $193 million prior to Election Day—and potentially making Musk Trump’s biggest financial backer, though it’s still unclear how Musk’s donations stack up against Trump’s previous biggest donor, Timothy Mellon, who had given $150 million to pro-Trump super PACs through Oct. 16.
As with prior reporting periods, Musk’s donations made up the bulk of the $120 million America PAC reported receiving in total between Oct. 17 and Nov. 25.
FEC filings show Musk also funded a super PAC that came under controversy for using late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to endorse Trump on abortion—which Ginsburg’s family disavowed—with Musk giving $20.5 million to the PAC and serving as its sole donor.
Musk donated to America PAC in the weeks before the election as his PAC was garnering headlines for its controversial $1 million daily giveaways to registered voters in swing states, which gave out $18 million in total by Election Day, and the PAC also awarded $47 checks to people who recruited others to sign the petition, saying Oct. 30 it had sent out more than 87,000 checks.
Beyond its cash prizes, America PAC ran the Trump campaign’s biggest ground game operation, thanks to FEC guidance that made it possible for typically independent super PACs to coordinate with campaigns on those efforts.
America PAC’s activities are expected to continue even now that the election is over, with Musk saying on Nov. 12 the PAC will “keep grinding” to register voters in “key districts” ahead of the midterm elections, promising it will also “play a significant role in primaries.” Musk’s vocal support for Trump in the leadup to the election also led the president-elect to give the CEO reins over the “Department of Government Efficiency,” a new group that will operate outside of the government with hopes of reducing government spending. Musk will be spearheading the effort with fellow billionaire and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
FORBES VALUATION
Forbes estimates Musk’s net worth at $343.8 billion as of Thursday evening, making him the richest person in the world.
WHO ELSE HAS MUSK DONATED TO?
While America PAC was the main focus of Musk’s political giving this election cycle, FEC filings show he also made a number of other major donations, including to the National Republican Congressional Committee and state Republican parties in Utah, Alabama and California. He also gave money to GOP Rep. Ken Calvert’s reelection campaign and Colby Jenkins’ unsuccessful House race in Utah, and gave $1 million in August to Early Vote Action PAC, which is dedicated to boosting GOP voter registrations. While Musk’s reported political giving only began in July, the Wall Street Journal reported Musk previously gave money in a more roundabout way, giving more than $50 million before the 2022 midterms to a group called “Citizens for Sanity” that ran attack ads against Democrats and spending $10 million helping Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign in the GOP primaries. The former donation was reportedly funneled through a group called Building America’s Future, according to the Journal, which funded a pro-Trump PAC this election cycle that was criticized for its ads targeting Muslim voters.
TANGENT
America PAC ultimately completed its string of $1 million giveaways despite concerns that the program ran afoul of federal and state law. The Justice Department reportedly warned Musk the program could violate a federal law that prohibits paying people to vote or register to vote, given that people could only win the $1 million if they were registered voters. The DOJ ultimately never brought any actual legal complaint or charges against Musk and the PAC, however, and Trump’s impending inauguration means the agency is now unlikely to impose any consequences. Musk was also sued in Philadelphia as the city’s district attorney alleged the giveaways violated state consumer protection laws and lottery guidance, but the case was ultimately dismissed. Musk’s lawyers told the judge in the case the giveaway was not a random lottery and winners were chosen based on their suitability to be spokespeople for America PAC, and thus didn’t go against the state’s lottery rules. That sparked separate litigation, however, as signatories of the PAC’s petition sued Musk and America PAC for alleged fraud because they signed the petition believing winners were randomly selected. Those lawsuits remain pending.
KEY BACKGROUND
America PAC was formed over the summer, with early reports suggesting Musk planned to give as much as $45 million per month to the committee, which he later denied. The PAC’s creation came as Musk became a vocal Trump supporter following the assassination attempt on the ex-president, endorsing Trump in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. The move marked somewhat of an about-face for Musk, who previously was more aligned with Democrats and had publicly criticized Trump in the past. Musk became one of Trump’s loudest cheerleaders in the run up to the election, however, joining Trump on the campaign trail and singing Trump’s praises on Musk-owned social media network X in addition to his donations. The Tesla CEO—whose businesses stand to heavily benefit from Trump’s presidency—has remained by the president-elect’s side since the election as well, becoming a mainstay at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and reportedly sitting in on Trump’s meetings with lawmakers and world leaders.