Elon Musk’s efforts to get more people to support Donald Trump show how the CEO of Tesla runs his businesses.
Musk’s founder-mode intensity in business is making moves in politics as well. Musk had spent just under $119 million on his pro-Trump America PAC by Friday.
Elon Musk wrote on Twitter, which is now X, in 2018 that “nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week.” This was before he owned the business.
Musk is now using his intense, money-focused, and boundary-breaking style to boost a brand other than his own business empire: Donald Trump.
The CEO of Tesla has been going from town to town in Pennsylvania, a key swing state, having his own rallies and giving $1 million checks to a few lucky people who sign his petition.
Musk had spent almost $119 million on his pro-Trump America PAC and given $924,600 to Trump 47, a joint fundraising account, as of Friday.
Musk is known for putting this much work into running his companies. People say that he got things done no matter what, like sleeping on a couch in his factories and on the floor under his desk so that his workers could see him when their jobs changed.
For many, Musk’s move into “founder mode” is very appealing. He’s the richest man in the world because he takes business very seriously, and he has a huge fan base—at many events, people cheer and applaud him like they would for a rock star.
Communication and political science experts who have looked into Musk’s business style told Business Insider that the way he runs his businesses and his political work are very similar.
B. Ott, a communications professor at Missouri State University, told BI, “He has brought all of those same mechanisms and strategies of his leadership style to his work in politics.”
BI asked Musk and the Trump campaign for a response, but neither of them replied.
A new way to measure success
After the failed attempt to kill the former president in July, Musk backed Trump. Since then, Musk has been fully supporting Trump.
Musk held a town hall meeting on Saturday in Swatara Township, Pennsylvania. “I haven’t been politically active before, but I am now because I think the future of America and the future of civilization is at stake,” he said.
With 10 days left until the election, the race is still very close.
It was released Friday by The New York Times and Siena College that Trump and Harris are tied for the most votes with 48% each.
It’s not clear what the results of Musk’s work for Trump have been. However, he doesn’t seem to be slowing down. People who sign his petition in support of the First and Second Amendments and live in key swing states have been getting $1 million checks.
A media expert at the University of Amsterdam named Agustin Ferrari Braun told BI that Musk’s actions could get his fans to work for Trump on social networks like X.
Porsche Braun said that could make more of them care about Trump’s campaign than they would have otherwise.
He said it’s a strategy that’s similar to how Musk helped Tesla roll out its difficult electric vehicles. Musk made up a story and “willed it into being,” Ferrari Braun said.
A Ferrari Braun said that Musk uses his fame to get people to support a cause. “He’s trying to do the same thing for the election,” Ferrari Braun said.
