• Elon Musk’s efforts to boost support for Donald Trump reflect how the Tesla CEO runs his businesses.
• The intensity of the founder mode that Musk brings to business is creating waves in politics.
• As of Friday, Musk had spent just under $119 million on his pro-Trump America PAC.

In 2018, before he owned the place, Elon Musk posted on Twitter, now X, that “no one has ever changed the world on 40 hours per week“.

Musk is now deploying intensity, money and breaking his brand norms to elevate a brand beyond his business empire: Donald Trump.

Tesla CEO crossed the keystone Pennsylvania swing state, organize your own gatherings And cut million dollar checks to the lucky few who sign his petition.

As of Friday, Musk had spent just under $119 million for his Pro-Trump America PAC and donated $924,600 to Trump 47, a joint fundraising committee.

Musk has most often demonstrated this level of effort in running his businesses. His stories of getting stuff done at all costs is a legend. They include sleeping on a sofa in its factories and on the floor under his desk so his employees could see him when they changed shifts.

Musk will Founder Mode is convincing to many. His business efforts have made him the richest man in the world, and he has built a loyal following that has earned him cheers and applause at events that are more akin to rock star reactions than to CEOs.

Communications and political science experts who have studied Musk’s approach to business told Business Insider that his political exploits share similar DNA to his heads-down way of running his companies.

“He brought all of these same types of mechanisms and strategies from his leadership style to his involvement in politics,” said Brian Ott, distinguished professor in the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism and Film at the University of ‘Missouri State, at BI.

BI requested comment from Musk and the Trump campaign but received no response.

A new measure of success

Musk supported Trump in July after the assassination attempt against him. Since then, Musk has been actively campaigning for the former president.

“I have never been politically active before, I am now because I believe the future of America and the future of civilization is at stake,” he added. Musk said at town hall he hosted last Saturday in Swatara Township, Pennsylvania.

In early October, Musk joined Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, at the site where the assassination attempt took place, and explained why he supported Trump.

“I think this election is the most important election of our lifetime. This is no ordinary election. The other side wants to take away your right to free speech, they want to take away your right to to bear arms, he wants to take away your right to free speech would effectively take away your right to vote,” he said at the rally. “President Trump must win to preserve the Constitution, he must win to preserve democracy in America.”

Musk also said he supports Trump because he likes his stance on limited government, free markets and federal spending.

“With a Trump presidency, we’re going to have secure borders, we’re going to have safe cities, we’re going to have reasonable spending, we’re going to have deregulation, sensible regulation, and we can unleash the power that is America. ” Musk said during a event at town hall Monday in Pennsylvania.

The race remains particularly close ten days before the elections.

According to a national poll from The New York Times and Siena Poll released Friday, Trump and Harris are tied at 48% and 48%, respectively, in the popular vote.

It’s unclear whether Musk’s efforts on behalf of Trump have had or will have an impact. However, he shows no signs of slowing down. He distributed $1 million checks to registered voters in key swing states who sign his petition in support of the First and Second Amendments.

Agustin Ferrari Braun, a media researcher at the University of Amsterdam, told BI that Musk’s efforts could inspire his fans to drum up support for Trump on social platforms like X.

That could mean more of them become invested in Trump’s campaign than they otherwise would have, Ferrari Braun said.

He said it’s an approach not unlike how Musk handled difficult electric vehicle deployments at Tesla. Musk is creating a narrative, and he essentially “wanted it,” Ferrari Braun said.

Ferrari Braun said Musk uses his celebrity to get people to buy into a vision.

“He’s trying to do the same thing for the elections,” Ferrari Braun said.