Billionaire campaigns: Musk wants to give away a million dollars a day!

Washington, D.C. (USA) - The tech billionaire and Trump supporter Elon Musk (53) wants to give away one million US dollars (around 919,000 euros) to signatories of a petition every day until the election.

Elon Musk (53) is supporting the Republicans in the US election campaign. If Trump wins the election, a powerful position could await him.
Elon Musk (53) is supporting the Republicans in the US election campaign. If Trump wins the election, a powerful position could await him.  © Matt Rourke/AP/dpa

The offer is aimed at registered voters in the swing states that are particularly hard-fought in the presidential election.

The petition advocates "free speech and the right to bear arms" and was launched by Musk's organization "America PAC". This organization supports the election campaign of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (78).

"We will randomly award one million dollars every day from now until the election to people who have signed the petition," Musk said at a campaign appearance in Harrisburg in the swing state of Pennsylvania. Musk said his goal was to get between one and two million voters in battleground states to sign the petition because "it sends an important message to our elected politicians."

Musk handed the first check to a man from Pennsylvania at the event.

The program could violate campaign finance rules

Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump (78, l.) and Elon Musk during a campaign event in Pennsylvania.
Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump (78, l.) and Elon Musk during a campaign event in Pennsylvania.  © Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP/dpa

Musk's aim is likely to be to get a particularly large number of conservatives in the hard-fought states to register to vote. The program could violate campaign finance rules, as it is not legal in the US to pay people to register as voters.

Musk has been supporting Republican Trump financially for some time with donations in the millions. According to documents from the US election authority FEC, the Tesla boss has donated around 75 million US dollars (69 million euros) in tranches over a period of three months to the America PAC, which is supporting Trump in the election campaign.

Trump is running against Democrat Kamala Harris (60) in the presidential election on November 5. Musk, who often promotes conspiracy theories, has been supporting Trump for some time. The Tesla boss also regularly campaigns against Harris.

Trump recently hinted that Musk could be put at the head of a committee to review US finances if he wins the election. Musk should cut government spending, according to Trump.