From fervent supporter of progressive ideas to indefatigable ally of Donald Trump, Elon Musk’s political metamorphosis resembles a coming-of-age novel. The billionaire’s evolution, which has taken shape over the past few years, reached its peak last week when the Tesla CEO threw his support behind Trump’s reelection campaign.
It all seemed to have begun a little more than two months ago when Musk found himself at Nelson Peltz, a well-known activist investor’s opulent Palm Beach mansion, Montsorrel. The purpose of the meeting was to analyze Republican chances in the next elections. Prominent conservative financiers, including hedge-funder John Paulson and Las Vegas casino tycoon Steve Wynn, were in attendance. The discussion, however, abruptly took a surprising turn when Musk said that, should President Biden win, the 2024 election may be the last one held in America, foretelling the legalization of millions of undocumented immigrants and the end of democracy as we know it.
This was presumably the turning point in Musk’s development from a liberal technological visionary to a conservative cause advocate. His guidance to the seasoned investors in attendance was both straightforward and ground-breaking: imitate Tesla’s achievement in cultivating a devoted fan base through word-of-mouth marketing as opposed to conventional advertising. Musk’s plan for the Republicans similarly involved pushing each supporter to bring in two more people in order to build up grassroots support through personal advocacy.
Not too long afterward, Musk publicly supported Trump. The moment came after the former president escaped an attempted assassination in Pennsylvania, a few minutes after which Musk broke ranks and formalized his endorsement of the MAGA cause on his platform, X.
Musk’s political career appears to be both intriguing and intricate. He used to be a significant Democratic Party donor who supported Barack Obama’s campaign and kept a friendly connection with the former president. Yet, his sudden disenchantment with the Democratic Party’s leftward tilt and significant policy differences—from immigration to what he saw as his firms’ mistreatment under the Biden administration—have all but pushed him closer to the Republican Party.
Musk has been circumspect about his financial donations despite his renewed political fervor. He has favored making donations to dark-money groups in order to evade public scrutiny—a lesson he had to learn the hard way when liberals took exception to his largest declared payment to the McCarthy Victory Fund in 2017. Such leeway still characterizes his political contributions; he allegedly turned down a sizable offer to support Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign and remains reticent about funding the American Action Network, a dark-money organization supporting Republican causes.
Musk is reportedly considering giving Trump up to $45 million a month in assistance; if accurate, this amount would greatly enhance the former president’s political campaign.
Musk has engaged in similarly calculated conversations with Republican officials. Over the years, Musk’s friendship with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has deepened, with McCarthy often requesting Musk’s participation in political and fundraising events. Musk’s absorption into the Republican political apparatus has been greatly aided by the collaboration with McCarthy, which has allowed him to establish contacts with other influential conservative figures like Steve Wynn and Nelson Peltz.
But the SpaceX CEO has more clout than just his financial donations. He boasts some 190 million followers on X, which gives him a huge following and positions him as one of the most powerful people in the world. His political observations and public endorsements have the ability to significantly affect public opinion, strengthening his already strong economic prowess.
Musk’s support for Trump is not without controversy, though. Their opinions sharply differ on a number of important matters. Musk is a proponent of electric cars and lowering greenhouse gas emissions, whereas Trump has continuously questioned the necessity of renewable energy and pushed for more production of fossil fuels. Nonetheless, they have formed a practical, if somewhat bizarre, partnership because of their mutual contempt for President Biden and their common interest in conservative economic ideas.
