Despite Elon Musk’s endorsement of former President Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential race, employees at his companies are largely contributing to the campaign of Democratic rival Kamala Harris, according to campaign finance data.
OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan nonprofit tracking U.S. campaign contributions, reports that workers at Tesla have donated $42,824 to Harris’ campaign compared to $24,840 for Trump. At SpaceX, Musk’s rocket company, employees have contributed $34,526 to Harris versus $7,652 to Trump. Workers at X, formerly Twitter, have given $13,213 to Harris and less than $500 to Trump.
While these amounts are relatively small in terms of overall campaign fundraising, they suggest a political leaning among Musk’s employees that contrasts with the billionaire’s own stated preferences. Musk, currently the world’s richest person, has been vocal in his support for Trump on the X platform and has criticized left-leaning ideologies.
Musk, who supported President Joe Biden in the 2020 election, has since shifted towards more conservative positions. Trump has indicated that if he wins the November 5 election, he would appoint Musk to lead a government efficiency commission.
Ross Gerber, CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management and a Tesla shareholder, attributes the donation patterns partly to the fact that many of Musk’s employees are based in California, traditionally a Democratic stronghold.
In July, Musk announced plans to move X and SpaceX headquarters from California to Texas, citing disagreement with California’s gender-identity laws. Gerber suggests this move could result in “losing out on a lot of potential talent” in California.
The OpenSecrets data includes donations from company employees, owners, and their immediate family members. Federal law prohibits companies themselves from donating directly to federal campaigns.
Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the donation patterns among his companies’ employees.
