Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, funnelled over $250 million during the final months of this year’s election to help Donald Trump secure the presidency, according to federal filings released Thursday.
The $5.4m in donations are a drop in the much, much larger Musk’s bucket; however, it makes it a record single donor significant funding directed toward the subsequent pro-Trump administration.
Among Musk’s more unconventional efforts was a $20 million contribution to a super PAC named after Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the late liberal Supreme Court justice. The PAC, intended to soften Trump’s stance on abortion, sparked controversy for appropriating Ginsburg’s legacy.
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Musk’s primary financial backing went to America PAC, his flagship super PAC. He provided $239 million in cash and in-kind contributions, including three $25 million checks in the race's final weeks. The PAC focused on ground-game operations for Trump, whom Musk saw as vital to defeating President Biden. After an assassination attempt on Musk in July, his support for Trump intensified, leading him to campaign actively in Pennsylvania, a pivotal battleground state.
How Musk funding Trump's agenda and targeting progressive prosecutors
During pre-election, Musk also donated $4 million to America PAC shortly after Election Day. He plans to keep the PAC operational, focusing on targeting progressive prosecutors and advancing Trump’s agenda.
{{/usCountry}}During pre-election, Musk also donated $4 million to America PAC shortly after Election Day. He plans to keep the PAC operational, focusing on targeting progressive prosecutors and advancing Trump’s agenda.
{{/usCountry}}Musk also played a role in other Republican efforts, donating $12 million to groups supporting GOP Senate candidates, including the Senate Leadership Fund and Sentinel Action Fund. Federal filings suggest he may have also funded undisclosed dark-money entities.
The filings revealed Musk as the sole funder of RBG PAC, a group using Ginsburg’s image to promote Trump. The ads claimed Trump’s abortion stance aligned with Ginsburg’s, featuring the tagline, “Great Minds Think Alike,” alongside images of Trump and Ginsburg. The campaign drew sharp criticism from Ginsburg’s family, including her granddaughter Clara Spera, who called the effort “appalling.”
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“Support Donald Trump’s re-election campaign, and specifically to suggest that she would approve of his position on abortion, is nothing short of appalling,” he said.
Since Trump’s victory, Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy were appointed to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).