Donald Trump’s reelection as the head of the United States owes much to one man: Elon Musk. The tech mogul has “spared no effort” to ensure the Republican candidate’s success, making massive investments in his campaign, engaging in grassroots efforts, and utilizing his social media platform, X, to recruit voters.
“We have a new star, a star is born… Elon! He’s an incredible guy.” In his victory speech delivered late at night from November 5 to November 6, Donald Trump didn’t miss the chance to praise one individual: Elon Musk. And for good reason: the tech mogul played a crucial role in the triumphant return of the New York businessman to the White House.
“Let’s remember that since July 13, the day of the foiled attack against Donald Trump and Musk’s announced support for him, Elon Musk, an American of South African origin, has been tirelessly active,” noted the Swiss newspaper Le Temps.
The man who claimed in March that he would not financially support any presidential candidates ultimately became the main donor to Donald Trump’s campaign. According to the Federal Election Commission, Elon Musk is reported to have made donations totaling approximately $132 million to Trump and the Republicans.
This support was decisive, especially as “billionaires have played a more significant role than ever in the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns,” as highlighted by Al-Jazeera. “Bill Gates from Microsoft and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg both supported Vice President Kamala Harris.”
The Tesla founder even embarked on a more controversial initiative. He proposed to give $1 million each day to a randomly selected voter in key states who agreed to sign a petition supporting the First and Second Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, which protect freedom of speech and the right to bear arms, respectively.
But it wasn’t just his personal fortune that Elon Musk dedicated to Donald Trump’s campaign. To promote his champion, he primarily relied on his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), which he acquired in 2022. He played the role of a “promoter, effectively transforming his social media platform X into a mouthpiece for ‘Make America Great Again’ (MAGA),” added the Qatari media outlet.
“The Return of the Frustrated Male”
Throughout the campaign, he allowed misinformation to spread, provided a platform for hate speech and conspiracy theories, sometimes acting as a conduit himself. On election day, “Elon Musk used his X account to encourage his 203 million followers to vote for Donald Trump,” reported The New York Times.
More than just a supporter, he became the central figure in the Republican camp during this American presidential race, as stated by La Repubblica, which wrote:
“It is not Trump who gave Musk the key to his electoral campaign, but the other way around.”
“Musk guided Trump on the areas to target in the swing states: ‘If you succeed there, you will succeed everywhere.’ He created a political action committee, recruited hundreds of people and sent them to knock on 10 million doors to say that if Trump didn’t win, democracy would be over.”
He also embodied alongside Donald Trump “the return of the frustrated male against political correctness and #MeToo. They represent a neo-tribalism that gathers around them a retinue of wives and ex-wives and a multitude of children, addressing the planet’s overpopulation by ‘whitening’ it,” added the Italian newspaper.
In the end, all of Elon Musk’s efforts paid off. Donald Trump was elected, and his biggest supporter may be rewarded with a position in the U.S. government. Even if the newly elected president doesn’t keep his promises, Elon Musk can still find solace. After the election, the value of his companies skyrocketed. This led La Tribune de Genève to say he made “the perfect bet.” “Tesla gained nearly
$100 billion in value due to soaring stock prices. Musk owns about $131 billion following Trump’s electoral victory. Compared to this figure, the investment of about $130 million in Trump’s election appears trivial.
