The Man In The Iron Musk: Billionaire Behind Trump Comeback – Analysis
When Donald Trump announced his ‘great victory’ as the results of the US presidential election started coming in, he specifically thanked one person who had played a key role in helping him return to presidency. In a speech at West Palm Beach, Florida, he praised Elon Musk, calling him his strongest supporter in the presidential race. He referred to Musk as “a star”, highlighting the impact of the billionaire behind Tesla, SpaceX and X (formerly known as Twitter).
Musk has been a major force in Trump’s return—not only by investing millions into his campaign, but also by advising on policy and promoting his ideas. He has even used his X social media platform as a strong supporter of the ‘Make America Great Again‘ (MAGA) movement.
Elon Musk shared on X that the future would be “amazing” as it became clear that Donald Trump would be back in the White House. This statement hints at Musk’s optimistic view on the direction America may take with Trump’s return, signalling his belief in positive changes ahead.
The billionaire’s influence could grow significantly with Trump in office again, as Trump once hinted that his supporter may take on a role like ‘secretary of cost-cutting’ in his Cabinet. This shows Trump’s confidence in the billionaire’s skills to help reduce government spending.
Experts caution that Musk, whose company, SpaceX, already holds significant influence as a key defence contractor for the government, could potentially gain the power to “oversee those who typically set the rules”. This suggests he may have an unusual level of control over the authorities who usually regulate businesses.
Now that the election dust has settled, here is a simple lowdown on how the world’s wealthiest person played a key role in creating one of the most unexpected political comebacks in history. How did Musk use his wealth and influence to help Trump regain his position and what motivated him to do so?
Musk’s Contribution to Trump’s Campaign
It is clear that billionaires had more influence than ever in both the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns. Microsoft’s Bill Gates and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg supported Vice-President Kamala Harris. However, it was Musk’s broad support for Trump that truly made an impact. Musk’s influence and resources played a significant role in shaping Trump’s comeback.
According to the Federal Election Commission’s ((FEC’s) final disclosures last month before election day, Musk contributed around $132 million to Trump and other Republicans leading up to the 2024 election. The FEC is a government agency that oversees, and enforces, rules on campaign funding in US elections, ensuring donations and spending are transparent and legal.
Two major donations—$43.6 million and $75 million—were channelled directly into Trump’s campaign efforts, particularly benefiting the America Political Action Committee (PAC) founded by Musk. The America PAC is a fundraising group that supports political campaigns, such as Trump’s, by collecting donations. PACs help gather, and spend, money to promote specific candidates and political causes.
In a controversial move, Musk started a cash giveaway in important swing states. Registered voters who signed a petition in support of the First and Second Amendments—which protect free speech and the right to own firearms—were given a chance to win $1 million each day. Musk announced at a campaign event on October 19, “Every day from now until the election, we’ll randomly award $1 million to people who have signed the petition.” The action faced a legal challenge in Pennsylvania after the US Justice Department cautioned that the group may be violating election laws, which prohibit offering payments to encourage people to register to vote.
On Monday, November 4, judges allowed Musk’s cash giveaway to continue after his lawyers clarified how winners were chosen. Instead of being picked randomly, the winners were selected as “vetted spokespeople”, meaning they were carefully chosen based on specific criteria. This approach, possibly, ensured they would promote the campaign in a controlled and positive way, rather than just handing money to anyone who signed the petition. The court accepted this method, giving Musk the green light to keep the giveaway running.
Musk is now facing a class-action lawsuit—a legal case filed by a group of people with similar complaints—from voters who say he misled them into signing the petition by making them believe they had a real chance of winning the $1 million. According to Al-Jazeera, the lawsuit was filed on Tuesday by Arizona resident Jacqueline McAferty, who also claimed that Musk used the giveaway to gather personal data and boost traffic to X.
This was possible because people who signed up for the giveaway possibly had to provide personal details, such as their contact information or social media profiles. By collecting this data, Musk’s team could build a list of contacts and use it to reach more people on X, increasing the platform’s traffic and visibility. This strategy could help promote X, while also gaining valuable information about the participants.
FEC records revealed that Musk had donated $10 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, a political action committee (PAC) focused on “protecting and expanding the Republican Senate Majority”. This support could potentially help Republicans regain control of the Senate in this election. FEC filings are official records that track donations to political campaigns and committees, showing who is funding political activities and how much they are giving.
Musk is said to have made additional donations to Republican candidates that have not been reported.
Ways X Was Used to Promote MAGA Views
It may seem unusual now, but Elon Musk was once seen as a liberal and a supporter of renewable energy. He even said he had voted for Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Since taking over Twitter in 2022, which has since been renamed X, this image has changed. After promising to make Twitter a ‘politically neutral’ platform, Musk let go of the employees who were in charge of checking for false information.
He also reinstated over 62,000 accounts that had been suspended, including those linked to white nationalists and neo-Nazis—groups that promote hatred and racism, often targeting people of colour, Jews and other minorities—known for spreading hate speech and conspiracy theories. Importantly, he also lifted the ban on Trump’s account, which had been suspended by the platform following the January 2021 attack on the US Capitol—a situation many believe Trump influenced.
As the election approached, critics argued that X had essentially turned into an unofficial platform promoting the MAGA side of the Republican Party. The owner himself faced accusations of openly supporting Trump and sharing misleading information with his 200 million followers, with X‘s algorithm boosting his influence even further.
One example involved a fake video of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, edited with a false voiceover saying, “I was selected because I am the ultimate diversity hire” (meaning choosing someone for a job partly to increase variety in backgrounds, such as race or gender). Musk shared this video in July, commenting “this is amazing” with a laughing emoji. This re-post added 136 million more views to the video.
False information about ‘illegal immigrants’ voting in the election spread across X. This claim was shared widely, although, in the US, only citizens can vote in federal elections. Non-citizens, regardless of their immigration status, are not allowed to participate in these elections.
Studies from both conservative and liberal groups show this offence is very rare. While breaking this law can lead to serious consequences, such as up to a year in jail, fines, or even deportation, the research suggests that very few people actually commit this offence. A conspiracy theory spread on X, with Musk, himself, promoting it, claimed that Democrats were bringing in undocumented immigrants and planning to grant them amnesty to increase their voter base in future elections.
After Trump’s debate with Harris in September, where he falsely claimed that Haitian immigrants in an Ohio town were eating cats and dogs, Musk shared a meme featuring a cat holding a sign that said, “Kamala hates me”, followed by a laughing emoji.
Although Musk claims to support free speech, he has blocked some news stories, including one by journalist Ken Klippenstein, as reported by Al-Jazeera. This article discussed the weaknesses of Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance, reportedly based on leaked documents. Although the journalist’s account was eventually restored, access to the article’s links remained blocked.
A survey by the Pew Research Center in March showed the platform’s rising popularity with Republican supporters. About 53% felt it was “good for democracy”, nearly three times the 17% who had said the same in 2021.
Musk’s Reasons for Aligning with Trump
The combined support from their fan bases strengthened the Trump-Musk alliance. Not too long ago, Trump and Musk did not use to get along. In 2022, Trump called Musk a “bulls**t artist”, accusing him of lying about supporting him in the 2016 election. Musk replied on Twitter that it was “time for Trump to retire and ride off into the sunset”.
Two years later, the tech mogul stood alongside Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, wearing a black MAGA hat. Musk’s shift towards more conservative views is often linked to the forced shutdown of his Tesla factories during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020, he defied orders by reopening a plant in Fremont, California, saying he was prepared to face arrest. This move was seen as a stance against what he viewed as excessive government control and red tape.
Musk’s move towards conservative views is evident in his connections with leaders who also oppose regulations, such as Argentina’s President, Javier Milei. Musk has also formed connections with conservative leaders around the world, including Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu. This shows his growing alignment with Right-wing viewpoints on the global stage.
Several American media outlets, including Vanity Fair and the Washington Post, have suggested that a significant reason behind this situation may be connected to one of Musk’s children coming out as transgender in 2022. This child decided to distance from Musk and changed the last name to Wilson.
In an interview with Jordan Peterson—a Canadian psychologist, professor and author known for his views on culture, politics and personal responsibility who gained attention for his opposition to certain gender identity policies in Canada, arguing they infringed on free speech—Musk shared that he felt “tricked” into agreeing to his child’s medical treatment. Following this, he announced a mission against what he called the “woke mind virus”, a term used to describe what some people see as strict or extreme ideas about social issues, which they feel spread like a “virus” and may limit free speech or push certain beliefs too strongly.
The medical treatment Musk mentioned, possibly, relates to gender-affirming care—support that helps a person’s physical characteristics align with their gender identity—for his transgender child. This type of care can include counselling, hormone therapy, or other steps to support their gender identity. Musk’s statement about feeling “tricked” suggests he felt pressured or misled into agreeing to this care without fully understanding it or feeling comfortable with the decision.
In 2021, Musk moved Tesla’s headquarters from Palo Alto, California, located in Silicon Valley, to Austin, Texas. At the same time, he also relocated his own residence from California to Texas. In July, Musk announced plans to move his companies, SpaceX and X, from California to Texas. This move is linked to a recent California law that stops schools from requiring teachers to inform parents if a student changes their gender identity. Musk’s decision highlights his disagreement with this policy, as he believes that parents should be kept informed of such changes. By relocating, Musk is signalling his stance on the importance of parental involvement in these sensitive matters.
Helping Trump Connect with Young Men
Some people believe that Musk and Donald Trump, who act bold and different from others, have connected with many American men who feel left out or misunderstood. Movements like #MeToo, which highlight harassment issues and talk about “toxic masculinity”, have left some men feeling judged or ignored. Musk and Trump’s strong, rule-breaking personalities appeal to these men, who see them as leaders speaking to their concerns and frustrations.
Last month, in The New York Times, John Della Volpe, director of polling at Harvard’s Institute of Politics, described Trump’s efforts to attract young male voters as a “master class in connecting with men”. Trump’s strategy to win over young male voters seems to be working. A recent Harvard Youth Poll showed that 35% of men aged 18-24 expressed support for Trump, an increase of 5% over a survey in 2020.
This attitude is often reflected in popular “bro” podcasts, such as the ‘Joe Rogan Experience‘. Joe Rogan is a popular podcast host, comedian and former TV personality known for his above-mentioned show. On his podcast, he talks with a wide range of guests, including celebrities, scientists and political figures, discussing topics from current events to science, health and culture. Known for his casual, conversational style, he is popular among young men.
After interviewing Musk, Rogan gave his support to Trump on Monday (November 4). Rogan shared on X, praising Musk, saying, “Elon Musk is truly incredible. Without him, we’d be in trouble. He presents what I believe is the strongest argument for supporting Trump, and I agree with him completely.” This message struck a chord with many people. Just two days later, Trump was elected as the 47th President of the United States.
