Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X looks on during the Milken Conference 2024 Global Conference Sessions at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 6, 2024. REUTERS/David Swanson/File Photo
Elon Musk’s Secret Funding of Conservative Political Group Revealed
Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur behind Tesla, SpaceX, and the social media platform X, has been quietly funding conservative political causes, according to multiple sources. Musk’s financial support for a right-wing group, Building America’s Future, underscores his growing involvement in political advocacy, even before his public endorsement of former President Donald Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign in July.
Donations to Building America’s Future
Two sources familiar with the matter revealed that Musk began contributing to Building America’s Future in 2022, with donations reportedly amounting to millions of dollars. These contributions significantly boosted the group’s financial capacity, as its revenues grew from $11 million in 2021 to $53 million in 2022, according to government records. The exact amount of Musk’s donations, however, remains unclear, and Reuters has not been able to verify specific documentation linking Musk directly to the group’s finances.
Building America’s Future, a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization, is not required to disclose its donors under federal law. This designation allows the group to engage in political advocacy but prohibits direct funding of political campaigns, making it one of many “dark money” organizations used by both Republicans and Democrats to finance influence campaigns anonymously.
Political Messaging and Attacks on the Biden Administration
Building America’s Future has used its resources to launch numerous attacks against the Biden administration and Democratic policies. These include criticisms of Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running against Donald Trump in the upcoming election. A recent anti-immigration video from the group accused Harris of facilitating an “invasion” of migrants across the U.S.-Mexico border. Additionally, the organization has targeted the administration’s efforts to ban menthol cigarettes, a move aimed at reducing health risks among African Americans, in a campaign designed to undermine Black support for Harris.
The group’s aggressive advertising and social media campaigns are part of a broader effort to oppose the Biden administration on issues such as immigration, a topic that Musk has frequently addressed. The organization also launched a $10 million campaign aimed at reducing Black voter support for Harris, according to reports from NBC News.
Musk’s Shift to the Right
Musk’s political leanings have shifted towards conservative positions in recent years, despite his earlier support for Democratic candidates, including Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. Musk has been critical of the Biden administration, alleging that Tesla and SpaceX were given the “cold shoulder” by the White House. He has also become increasingly vocal on social media, promoting conspiracy theories and criticizing identity politics.
While Musk had previously denied any financial involvement in U.S. presidential campaigns, his contributions to Building America’s Future suggest that he had already begun financially backing conservative causes well before his public endorsement of Trump. Furthermore, he recently announced the creation of America PAC, a political action committee focused on supporting Trump’s re-election campaign. The PAC has already spent $77 million on efforts to mobilize infrequent voters, though Musk’s precise financial contribution remains undisclosed.
Overlapping Personnel and Aggressive Tactics
Both Building America’s Future and America PAC share personnel, including Generra Peck, former campaign manager for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and a current leader at America PAC. The PAC, like Building America’s Future, has engaged in personal attacks against Kamala Harris. Flyers distributed by the PAC in Arizona feature images of Harris laughing, accompanied by the message: “stop cackling Kamala.”
Despite the secrecy surrounding Musk’s donations, the financial support he has provided to conservative causes marks a significant shift in his public political profile and raises questions about the extent of his influence in shaping right-wing political messaging in the U.S.
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