Elon Musk Appears to Suspend His $1 Million Incentive for Voters
Update: It seems we jumped the gun,* as the America PAC declared another winner on Wednesday night's broadcast.
Elon Musk's PAC has been granting a $1 million prize daily to an un specified registered voter in certain swing states who signed a petition advocating for the First and Second Amendments. The organization also pledged $47 for each registered voter who did the same. However, it was disclosed yesterday that the Department of Justice had given the group a heads up that their actions might be infringing upon federal election law. Consequently, it appears that the competition has unexpectedly halted.
According to Axios, Musk's America PAC, commonly known as the pro-Trump group, didn't declare a $1 million winner on Wednesday night.
Critics asserted that Musk's giveaway was merely a veiled attempt to purchase votes for Trump. Given the historically low youth participation in U.S. elections, and that the $1 million prize was only available to registered voters in states like Pennsylvania, which could end up backing either candidate, it seemed that Musk was attempting to motivate the disenchanted to register and pay back the favor with their votes. Musk's PAC
The timing of the Department of Justice's warning worked well for Musk. The registration deadline in Pennsylvania—where he has been actively supporting Trump—falls 15 days before the election, on October 21. Therefore, Musk wouldn't stand to gain much by continuing the giveaway at this stage, and can pause it under the pretense of the DOJ warning. In fact, he might even view the warning as a blessing in disguise.
Musk has made alarmist statements about a possible Harris administration, suggesting that he may land behind bars if she wins the presidency, and that "humanity would never reach Mars" under her leadership. These ominous claims are puzzling given that Musk's enterprises have prospered significantly under the Biden administration, with SpaceX and Tesla both receiving substantial government funding and achieving groundbreaking achievements like baton-shaped Starship landing. On the previous day, Tesla revealed Q3 2024 earnings that included a staggering $739 million in straight profit from selling EV tax credits to other vehicle manufacturers. These tax credits, of course, are intended to propel the EV industry.
However, things at his privately owned social media company are not as rosy.
It's worth mentioning that his antipathy towards Harris and the Democratic party might be primarily due to his being left out of the White House EV summit by President Biden.
The future of Musk's vocal tech-driven political campaigns may face scrutiny due to potential legal objections, as his PAC's actions have sparked concerns over election law infringements. Moving forward, Musk might leverage cutting-edge technology to innovate in other political arenas.
In the light of the DOJ's warning, Musk's tech-focused future endeavors could pivot towards developing advancements in election integrity and transparency, or possibly even in political polling and campaign strategies.
