close
close

Apre-salomemanzo

Breaking: Beyond Headlines!

Elon Musk Dedicates Another  Million to Trump and the Republican Party (Video)
aecifo

Elon Musk Dedicates Another $54 Million to Trump and the Republican Party (Video)

There are few or no limits to how much money Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk is ready to focus on his political efforts, according to new campaign finance documents.

The world’s richest man added donations totaling $43.6 million to his super PAC in early October, according to the report, while revealing an additional $10 million to help Republican Senate candidates.

Its total known spending this year is now approaching $130 million.

The latest campaign finance records available before Election Day also solidified another trend that has defined the 2024 money race: a Kamala Harris campaign that continues to far outpace Donald Trump’s organization among small donors.

His campaign reported a windfall of $97 million in the first half of October, compared to $16 million for the Trump campaign.

That sets up a key contrast for the final 11 days of the 2024 campaign, with the formal operation behind Harris showing a clear advantage, but with Trump looking to make up much of the difference with his array of billionaire allies.

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 20: Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and Tesla, speaks during a town hall with Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick at the Roxain Theater on October 20, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Musk also awarded $1 million to an attendee at the event. Musk donated more than $75 million to America PAC, which he co-founded with other Silicon Valley venture capitalists and tech businessmen to support Republican presidential candidate former US President Donald Trump. (Photo by Michael Swensen/Getty Images)PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 20: Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and Tesla, speaks during a town hall with Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick at the Roxain Theater on October 20, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Musk also awarded $1 million to an attendee at the event. Musk donated more than $75 million to America PAC, which he co-founded with other Silicon Valley venture capitalists and tech businessmen to support Republican presidential candidate former US President Donald Trump. (Photo by Michael Swensen/Getty Images)

Elon Musk waves a napkin while speaking at a Pittsburgh town hall on October 20. (Michael Swensen/Getty Images) (Michael Swensen via Getty Images)

Musk is now, according to the latest public data, the second most generous Republican donor this cycle and will remain central to Trump’s election efforts as November 5 approaches.

The businessman crossed Pennsylvania last week and his involvement includes a massive canvassing operation as well as legally questionable $1 million in daily gifts to voters in exchange for their support of a petition that the PAC says , now has more than a million signatures.

Musk’s PAC also reported Thursday evening This represents more than $50 million spent during the period October 1-16.

Musk himself – apart from a brief foray for Tesla profits this week – also appears to be fully dedicating his time to the campaign with a phone meeting planned for Friday evening in support of Trump.

Musk also disclosed a check for $10 million made on October 1 to the main super PAC of Senate Republicans, controlled by allies of Senator Mitch McConnell.

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 20: SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk presents Kristine Fishell with a check for $1 million during a town hall at the Roxain Theater on October 20, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Musk donated more than $75 million to America PAC, which he co-founded with other Silicon Valley venture capitalists and tech businessmen to support Republican presidential candidate former US President Donald Trump. (Photo by Michael Swensen/Getty Images)PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 20: SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk presents Kristine Fishell with a check for $1 million during a town hall at the Roxain Theater on October 20, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Musk donated more than $75 million to America PAC, which he co-founded with other Silicon Valley venture capitalists and tech businessmen to support Republican presidential candidate former US President Donald Trump. (Photo by Michael Swensen/Getty Images)

Elon Musk presented Kristine Fishell with a check for $1 million during the Pittsburgh town hall. (Michael Swensen/Getty Images) (Michael Swensen via Getty Images)

The attention to Musk comes amid questions about the extent to which he will end up helping Trump.

A Yahoo Finance survey of more than 4,000 users found that Slightly more respondents said Musk’s prominence makes them less likely to vote for Trump (28%) compared to those who say it’s more likely (25%).

The result corresponds a recent survey from a left-wing polling organization called Blueprint which found a similar ratio on the same question. That poll also found that a potential message from Trump touting his friendship with Musk resonated the least with voters among the various messages tested.

The turmoil around Musk also comes as the billionaire tries to combat recent headlines about his business dealings that could raise more questions with voters, including a report from the Wall Street Journal that Musk is in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Harris’ campaign has only sparingly weighed in on Musk — although vice presidential candidate Tim Walz recently dubbed him Trump’s real running mate at a recent rally.

Their concerns about Musk’s outsized influence could be eased by an influx of money from small donors to their campaign.

The campaign raised well over $1 billion, more than double the total amount raised for Trump.

And Thursday’s filing found the campaign with more than $118 million in the bank to October 16 for the section, compared to Trump’s $36 million.

TOPSHOT - US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris gestures as she speaks at James R Hallford Stadium in Clarkston, Georgia on October 24, 2024. (Photo by Drew ANGERER / AFP) ( Photo by DREW ANGERER/AFP via Getty Images)TOPSHOT - US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris gestures as she speaks at James R Hallford Stadium in Clarkston, Georgia on October 24, 2024. (Photo by Drew ANGERER / AFP) ( Photo by DREW ANGERER/AFP via Getty Images)

Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris gestures as she speaks at a rally in Georgia on Thursday. (DREW ANGERER/AFP via Getty Images) (DREW ANGERER via Getty Images)

The reports also show that Harris and Trump’s overall operations – which include allied groups but not outside of super PACS – spent more than half a billion dollars in just those 16 days, as both sides maintained their massive operations and flooded almost every television and phone screen they could find with paid advertising.

Ben Werschkul is Yahoo Finance’s Washington correspondent.

Click here for political news related to the trade and monetary policies that will shape tomorrow’s stock prices.

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance