Elon Musk ditched by his own employees? Tesla, SpaceX and X workers donate more to Harris campaign than Trump
Figures of the contribution made by employees of Elon Musk collection of companies are relatively small for campaign fundraising but certainly reflects the political leaning of the staff.
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has announced his support for Republican former President Donald Trump in the race for the upcoming US presidential election, but the workers in his bouquet of companies are majorly donating to rival Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris.
Workers at Musk’s electric car manufacturing company Tesla have contributed $42,824 to Kamala Harris’presidential campaign in comparison to $24,840 towards Trump campaign, according to data compiled by OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan nonprofit that tracks U.S. campaign contributions and lobbying data, news agency Reuters reported.
Employees at Musk’s rocket company SpaceX have donated $34,526 to Harris versus $7,652 to Trump. Employees at the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, have donated $13,213 to Harris versus less than $500 to Trump.
While the figures are relatively small for campaign fundraising, they indicate political leanings at odds with Musk’s own. The world’s richest man, Musk has boosted Trump on X and dismissed left-leaning ideas as a “woke-mind virus.”
Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He backed President Joe Biden in 2020 but has tacked rightward since then. Trump has said that if he wins the Nov. 5 election, he will appoint Musk to lead a government efficiency commission.
The OpenSecrets data includes donations from company employees and owners and those individuals’ immediate family members. Campaign finance laws prohibit companies themselves from donating to federal campaigns.
Many of Musk’s employees are based in California, a Democratic stronghold, said Ross Gerber, CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management, which is a Tesla shareholder. Gerber is also an investor in X.
n July, Musk said he would move X and SpaceX headquarters to Texas from California because of a California gender-identity law he called the “last straw.” Gerber said such a move would mean “losing out on a lot of potential talent” in California.
With Thanks Reference to:https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/elon-musk-ditched-by-his-own-employees-tesla-spacex-and-x-workers-donate-more-to-harris-campaign-than-trump-101726679494694.html and https://indianexpress.com/article/world/employees-at-elon-musks-x-tesla-spacex-donate-harris-backs-trump-9574972/
