Elon Musk vows to hand out $1 MILLION a day to US voters in bid to ramp up support for Trump
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has pledged to give away $1million (£766,000) daily until the US presidential election on 5 November.
The recipients will be randomly selected from signatories of his America PAC petition in swing states.
The initiative kicked off on Saturday in Pennsylvania, where the first winner, John Dreher, was awarded the prize during a campaign event.
“Every day, from now through November 5, America PAC will be giving away $1million to someone in swing states who signed our petition to support free speech & the right to bear arms!” Musk posted on X.
Musk’s America PAC, established to support Donald Trump’s bid for the White House, has become a significant player in the former President’s re-election campaign.
The petition, which signatories must endorse, pledges support for the First and Second Amendments, guaranteeing freedom of speech and the right to bear arms.
“The First and Second Amendments guarantee freedom of speech and the right to bear arms. By signing below, I am pledging my support for the First and Second Amendments,” reads the petition.
Musk aims to gather “over a million, maybe two million, voters in the battleground states” to sign the petition, sending a “crucial message to our elected politicians”.
US LATEST:
Obama slams Trump’s ‘China-made’ bibles in scathing attackMike Tyson’s former trainer reveals anger with boxing star ahead of Jake Paul fightBoxing promoter calls for ban after Jake Paul’s dizzying offer to Mike Tyson
In addition to the generous cash incentive, the initiative serves to both engage potential voters and gathering contact information for campaign purposes.
Musk has been actively campaigning in Pennsylvania, holding three events in as many days.
During one of his most recentrallies, he made a number of controversial statements, including a suggestion that a Kamala Harris victory would mark “the last election” and implying the US would cease to exist.
The tech billionaire also claimed that assassination attempts on Trump demonstrate his threat to the establishment, contrasting this with the lack of such attempts on Harris.
Musk’s wealth, estimated at £210billion by Forbes, makes the $17million (£13million) giveaway a fraction of his fortune and he has already donated $75million (£57.5million) to America PAC.
However, the group has faced challenges. Since July, America PAC has fired two major contractors tasked with door-to-door canvassing.
As a political action committee, America PAC can raise and spend unlimited funds to support candidates, provided they don’t coordinate directly with campaigns or give money to them.
Trump has stated he would offer Musk a position in the White House if re-elected.