Elon Musk shelled out nearly $300mn to support Trump in 2024 election; Check all details

Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, shelled out over $290 million last year in a bid to assist GOP leader Donald Trump in the presidential race.

Published on: Feb 2, 2025, 17:17:00 IST

By Shweta Kukreti

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Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, shelled out over $290 million last year in a bid to assist GOP leader Donald Trump in the presidential race against former US VP Kamala Harris.

Elon Musk is currently in-charged of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a recently established advisory group tasked with reducing federal spending through mass layoffs and budget cuts. (AFP)

The revelation comes after Musk filed fresh documents with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), citing the amount spent in the final five weeks of 2024. The SpaceX CEO's total expenditure was over $250 million, as per FEC's filings reported in December.

Musk and freebies

According to documents in his most recent filings, Musk contributed over $11 million to his America PAC on New Year's Eve in order to fund his “petition incentives.” Musk, as per CNN, made end-of-year contributions in connection with the $1 million bonus for eligible voters who submitted a petition on his PAC's website during the last few weeks of the presidential campaign.

Despite legal hurdles, Musk was eventually permitted to proceed with the freebies. The Tesla CEO lost over $50 million as a result of the freebies, the filings disclosed.

The documents also show Musk sent $10,000 checks to other state Republican Party committees and donated millions to other Republican politicians, CNN reported.

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Musk donated $20.5mn RBG PAC; what is it?

The 2024 filing showed Musk provided $20.5 million to the RBG PAC, which was established in honor of the late liberal Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The group, which only received funding from Musk, promoted Trump's abortion policies and used a sizable amount of the funds for ads.

Ginsburg's granddaughter harshly criticized the group, calling it a “affront” to her legacy.

What is ahead for Musk?

Musk is currently in-charged of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a recently established advisory group tasked with reducing federal spending through mass layoffs and budget cuts.

Musk stated that his America PAC will “keep grinding” after the 2024 presidential election, hinting that it may play a major role in the 2026 midterm elections.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shweta Kukreti
Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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