Elon Musk Endorses Trump, But Employees Prefer Harris in 2024 Presidential Race

Billionaire Elon Musk has endorsed Donald Trump for the White House, while his employees at Tesla, SpaceX, and X favor Kamala Harris with their campaign donations. Despite Musk's backing of Trump, data from OpenSecrets reveals a significant financial tilt towards Harris from his workforce. Musk's political shift and potential company relocations add layers to this dynamic.

Billionaire Elon Musk has officially endorsed Republican former President Donald Trump for the 2024 White House race. However, his employees at Tesla, SpaceX, and social media platform X show a stark contrast in their political contributions.

According to data from OpenSecrets, Tesla employees have contributed $42,824 to Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, compared to $24,840 for Trump's campaign. SpaceX workers have donated $34,526 to Harris versus $7,652 to Trump. Meanwhile, X employees have contributed $13,213 to Harris, with less than $500 going to Trump.

The donations indicate a significant divide between Musk's political endorsements and his employees' financial support. Despite Musk's dismissal of left-leaning ideas as a 'woke-mind virus' and his shift towards the political right, his workforce remains largely supportive of Democratic candidate Harris.

Under current campaign finance laws, companies themselves cannot donate to federal campaigns, but employees and their immediate family members can. Many of Musk's employees are based in California, a Democratic stronghold. Ross Gerber, CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management, noted that moving company headquarters from California to Texas, as Musk proposed, could result in losing valuable talent.

(With inputs from agencies.)