$290 million, $1 million giveaways, a secret “RBG” PAC and his own posts
$290M+His 2024 election spending
RECORD / AT A GLANCE
Spending documented / effect on result unproven
The spending is documented in federal filings. “He bought the election” is unproven: no one can show his money changed the outcome. Some of his posts were false or misleading by any standard.
THE EVENTS / THE INVESTIGATION / THE STORY
The chronology.
Jul 2024
Harris video
Musk shares a manipulated Harris video without a parody label.
9 claims people make about this file, each rated documented, partly true, disputed, unproven or false. Think a rating is wrong? Use Dispute or Support, or join the Discussion.
DOCUMENTED Elections & money
“Musk spent more than $290 million on the 2024 election.”
Year-end federal filings showed it, by CNN’s tally, mostly through America PAC.
CCDH counted 1.2 billion views on 50 posts it said fact-checkers rated false or misleading. CCDH is an opponent Musk has sued, and the selection is its own.
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On X
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The money
What the filings show.
Year-end federal filings showed Musk spent more than $290 million to help elect Trump and other Republicans in 2024, according to CNN’s tally. Most went through America PAC, the group he founded, which ran much of the pro-Trump door-knocking in the swing states. [1][2][3][6]
He also funded a group called RBG PAC, which ran ads claiming Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s views on abortion matched Trump’s. Its filing showed $20.5 million from the Elon Musk Revocable Trust on 24 October 2024, eight days after it was formed; the donor was not known until December. [4][5]
What we can’t tell you. Spending through nonprofits that do not disclose donors may not be captured.
America PAC ran much of the pro-Trump canvassing in the swing states; operatives’ doubts about its data.
The $1 million a day
Lottery or lawful petition payments?
In October 2024, America PAC gave $1 million a day to registered voters in swing states who signed a petition supporting free speech and gun rights. Philadelphia’s district attorney sued, calling it an illegal lottery. [1]
At a hearing on 4 November, America PAC’s lawyer said winners were not chosen by chance but picked as paid spokespeople. The judge allowed the payouts to continue, later writing that the prosecutor had not shown it was an illegal lottery. [1][2][3]
What we can’t tell you. Federal authorities did not publicly act.
In July 2024, Musk shared a manipulated video of Kamala Harris with a fake voice-over, without a parody label at first. Critics said it broke X’s own synthetic-media rule. [1]
On 5 August, five secretaries of state wrote to X that Grok had told users the ballot deadline had passed in nine states when it had not. [2]
The Center for Countering Digital Hate, a group Musk has sued, counted 50 of his election posts that fact-checkers had rated false or misleading and found they drew 1.2 billion views, with no Community Notes visible on them. [3][4]
What we can’t tell you. View counts are X’s own figures.
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