How a Second Term for Trump Might Advantage Elon Musk


**Why Elon Musk Contributed Over $130 Million to Donald Trump’s 2024 Campaign**

If you’ve been curious about Elon Musk’s sudden choice to back Donald Trump’s 2024 U.S. presidential campaign with over $130 million, the first hint emerged on Wednesday. On that day, [Musk’s net worth surged by $15 billion](https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/06/business/video/musk-net-worth-tesla-trump-digvid), which, when you calculate, represents a staggering 11,538% return on investment.

And that’s merely the start of what Musk and his businesses could gain from a win for Trump.

### An Unexpected Partnership

Musk’s backing of Trump was not always a certainty. In fact, back in July 2022, as he wrapped up his Twitter acquisition, [Musk tweeted that Trump ought to “hang up his hat and sail into the sunset.”](https://mashable.com/article/donald-trump-elon-musk-feud-twitter) This followed Trump branding Musk as “another bullshit artist.” Trump hit back by recounting Musk’s appeals for government subsidies during his first term, stating, [“I could have said ‘drop to your knees and beg’ and he would have done it.”](https://mashable.com/article/donald-trump-elon-musk-feud-twitter)

The two have engaged in a sporadic feud since Musk joined Trump’s advisory councils in 2017, only to [resign](https://www.reuters.com/article/world/musk-iger-to-quit-trump-advisory-councils-after-paris-accord-decision-idUSKBN18S6FA/) after Trump [pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate accords](https://mashable.com/article/trump-paris-climate-withdraw-bad-idea-why). Musk’s political inclinations have been veering rightward for years, but initially, he sided with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over Trump in the GOP primaries. He even led [DeSantis’ campaign launch](https://mashable.com/article/desantis-twitter-spaces-elon-musk) in a disastrous Twitter Spaces event in 2023.

### From Conflict to Support

Two years after their “bullshit artist” disagreement and six months after DeSantis exited the race, [Musk officially endorsed Trump](https://mashable.com/article/x-conspiracy-theories-elon-musk-trump-shooting). However, it took additional months before Musk fully committed financially. His [America PAC poured around $30 million](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/15/musk-trump-super-pac/) into the campaign in August and September, ultimately escalating to approximately $130 million by campaign’s end. This included the contentious $1 million-a-day voter “lottery,” which [Musk’s own legal team admitted wasn’t really a lottery](https://mashable.com/article/judge-allows-musk-election-sweepstakes).

Musk’s engagement with the Trump campaign intensified when he made his debut at a Trump rally, embracing the [“dark MAGA”](https://mashable.com/article/musk-weird-weekend) aesthetic just weeks before the election. His quirky stage performances, featuring X-shaped jumps, created one of the campaign’s most notable moments when VP candidate [Tim Walz joked that Musk was “skipping like a dipshit.”](https://mashable.com/article/elon-musk-dancing-for-donald-trump-explained)

While it’s uncertain if Musk’s odd antics boosted Trump’s campaign, his financial backing certainly was beneficial. What remains unclear is the nature of the discussions Musk and Trump had privately.

### The Musk-Trump Connection

Musk has at least 20 reasons to curry favor with the prospective Trump administration. A *New York Times* article reveals that [Musk’s companies are under “at least 20” federal investigations](https://mashable.com/article/elon-musk-dancing-for-donald-trump-explained). It’s imperative for Musk who Trump selects to lead agencies such as the Departments of Justice, Labor, and Transportation, as well as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC), all of which are investigating potential breaches at Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and Twitter/X. These investigations could lead to substantial fines—or they could be quietly dismissed.

Beyond dodging penalties, Musk stands to gain significantly more from a second Trump term. This encompasses the continuation of electric vehicle subsidies and tax incentives that Musk sought during Trump’s initial term, along with profitable government contracts. In the last decade, Musk has secured