(WS News) – Billionaire Elon Musk has endorsed Republican former President Donald Trump in the race for the White House, but employees at his collection of companies are largely donating to Trump’s Democratic rival Kamala Harris.
Workers at Tesla tab have contributed $42,824 to Harris’ presidential campaign versus $24,840 to Trump’s campaign, according to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan nonprofit that tracks US campaign contributions and lobbying data.
Employees at Musk’s rocket company SpaceX have donated $34,526 to Harris versus $7,652 to Trump. Employees at the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, have donated $13,213 to Harris versus less than $500 to Trump.
While the figures are relatively small for campaign fundraising, they indicate political leanings at odds with Musk’s own. The world’s richest man, Musk has boosted Trump on X and dismissed left-leaning ideas as a “woke-mind virus.”
Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He backed President Joe Biden in 2020 but has tacked rightward since then. Trump has said that if he wins the Nov. 5 election, he will appoint Musk to lead a government efficiency commission.
The OpenSecrets data includes donations from company employees and owners and those individuals’ immediate family members. Campaign finance laws prohibit companies themselves from donating to federal campaigns.
