Musk puts ideology before business interests
Entrepreneurs and investors supporting Donald Trump in the U.S. elections, like Elon Musk, are not uncommon. Musk stands out in one crucial aspect: the Tesla and SpaceX CEO is not driven by business interests in joining the culture war.
A precise measure this is not, but a Washington Post investigation sheds light on the shifting priorities of the world's richest man: in 2021, around a third of Elon Musk's posts on the then Twitter platform were about his companies, mainly Tesla. Only two percent were political statements. This year, however, 17 percent of Musk's posts on the now-owned and renamed X network had political content. Despite acquiring more companies, their share of Musk's activity on X fell from over 30 percent in 2021 to around 20 percent this year.
Musk's political views have clearly shifted in recent years. Once sympathetic to Democrats, he was a vocal advocate for climate protection and rarely commented on controversial political issues. Now, he spreads right-wing conspiracy theories and actively supports Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential race. The peak so far: a live interview with Trump scheduled for the coming night. Musk also weighs in on political controversies in other countries, expressing support for the AfD in Germany and predicting an "inevitable" civil war in the UK.
Analysis of Musk's X posts suggests that the multimillionaire has not only shifted ideologically to the right but that his political stance has become more important to him - in some cases, more important than his business interests. He cited a new California law as a reason to move X's headquarters from the liberal coastal state to conservative Texas. Opposing medical support for transgender youth is one of Musk's top political priorities. One of his own children is an adult trans woman. In an interview, Musk said his "son" was "killed" by the "woke mind virus."
Message to former advertising clients: "Go fuck yourself!"
Musk has already moved parts of Tesla and SpaceX to Texas - for business advantages. But making such a decision purely for social political reasons would be "a qualitative difference," according to California political scientist Thad Kousser, quoted by Bloomberg.
The signs are growing that Musk's sometimes extreme statements could also deter potential buyers of climate-friendly electric vehicles, like those made by Tesla. Musk's new political allies on the right are unlikely to be won over to switch to electric mobility, and he can hardly expect support from another Trump presidency for the energy transition that Tesla once embraced.
Musk stands out among entrepreneurs and investors supporting Trump in the U.S. election campaign. Most align their business interests with their political involvement, hoping for tax cuts and less regulation in their industries. Musk, however, seems to have a different calculation. This was evident at a conference late last year when the Tesla CEO told numerous former advertisers, who had boycotted the platform due to widespread anti-Semitic content, "Go fuck yourself!"
Despite his business interests primarily focusing on Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk has become more vocal in supporting political causes, particularly those aligned with Republicans and Donald Trump. This shift is evident in the increase of political content in his posts on X, even surpassing the share of posts about his companies.
In a controversial move, Musk publicly berated former advertisers who had boycotted his platforms due to allegations of anti-Semitic content, telling them "Go fuck yourself!". This action showcases his commitment to his political stance, even if it affects his business relationships.
