Billionaire Elon Musk has endorsed former President Donald Trump in his bid for the White House, but employees at Musk’s companies are showing their support for Trump’s Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, through campaign donations. According to data from OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan organization that tracks U.S. campaign contributions, workers at Musk’s companies are contributing more to Harris than to Trump.
At Tesla, employees have donated $42,824 to Harris’ campaign, compared to $24,840 for Trump.
SpaceX employees have contributed $34,526 to Harris and only $7,652 to Trump. Meanwhile, workers at the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, have given $13,213 to Harris and less than $500 to Trump.
While the contributions are relatively small in the context of overall campaign fundraising, they highlight a contrast between the political leanings of Musk and his workforce. Musk, who once backed Joe Biden in the 2020 election, has since shifted his political stance to the right. He has used X to support Trump and criticize what he calls the “woke-mind virus” associated with left-leaning ideas. Despite Musk’s endorsement, his employees, many of whom are based in California, a Democratic stronghold, appear to favor Harris.
Musk has not commented on the disparity in employee donations. His support for Trump became more pronounced this year, with the former president even stating that, if elected, he would appoint Musk to lead a government efficiency commission.
The donations recorded by OpenSecrets include contributions from employees, company owners, and their immediate family members, as companies themselves are prohibited from donating directly to federal campaigns under U.S. law.
Ross Gerber, CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management, a Tesla shareholder and X investor, noted that many of Musk’s employees are based in California, which could explain their support for Harris. However, Musk has expressed frustration with California politics, particularly over its gender-identity laws, and announced plans to move the headquarters of both SpaceX and X to Texas. Gerber pointed out that such a move could result in a loss of talent from California.
Despite Musk’s rightward shift, the political preferences of his employees seem to remain firmly aligned with the Democratic Party, particularly in favor of Kamala Harris.
