Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Elon Musk has thrown his support behind Donald Trump, while his employees are reportedly largely backing Kamala Harris, according to recent data.
What Happened: According to OpenSecrets, employees at Tesla Inc. have contributed $42,824 to Harris’ campaign, compared to $24,840 for Trump. Workers at SpaceX have donated $34,526 to Harris, while only $7,652 has gone to Trump. At X, formerly Twitter, employees have given $13,213 to Harris and less than $500 to Trump, Reuters reported on Thursday.
These figures, though relatively small, highlight a political divide between Musk and his workforce. Musk, the world’s richest man, has promoted Trump on X and criticized left-leaning ideologies as a “woke-mind virus.” He did not respond to requests for comment. In 2020, Musk supported President Joe Biden but has since shifted rightward.
Trump has promised to appoint Musk to lead a government efficiency commission if he wins the Nov. 5 election. The OpenSecrets data includes donations from employees, owners, and their immediate family members, as companies themselves cannot donate to federal campaigns.
Many of Musk’s employees are based in California, a Democratic stronghold, noted Ross Gerber, CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management, a Tesla shareholder and X investor. In July, Musk announced plans to move X and SpaceX headquarters to Texas due to a California gender-identity law, which he called the “last straw.”
Tesla and X have yet to respond to Benzinga’s queries.
Why It Matters: Musk’s political stance has evolved significantly over the years. In August, Musk explained his support for Trump, stating that his track record has been moderate and he has not been particularly political in the past. He revealed this during a conversation with Trump, touching on various topics from immigration to electric vehicles.
In September, Musk commented on a debate between Trump and Harris, expressing dissatisfaction with the debate hosts and raising concerns about the lack of discussion on the national debt crisis. He also mentioned that Harris exceeded most people’s expectations during the debate.
Recently, Musk faced backlash for a controversial post on X, which he later deleted. The post questioned why no one was attempting to assassinate President Joe Biden or Harris, following an assassination attempt on Trump. The White House labeled the post as “irresponsible.”
Read Next:
Image via Shutterstock
This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Comments
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
