What to Make of Elon's $1 Million Giveaway

Oct 22, 2024

Elon Musk's recent $1 million giveaway is raising eyebrows amid his campaign efforts in Pennsylvania. Critics, including Governor Josh Shapiro, question the legality of this move, suggesting it's a manipulation tactic. The discussion dives into Musk's shifting political alliances, particularly his ties with Trump and the implications of his financial influence on elections. The podcast also explores Musk's complex relationship with electric vehicle policies and how his actions reflect broader political trends. It's a wild ride through power, politics, and philanthropy!

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Citizen Elon: Power, Politics, and Philanthropy

02:11 • 11min

The Political Tug-of-War Over Elon Musk and Electric Vehicles

12:45 • 4min

Citizen One: Unpacking D.C. Humor

16:44 • 5min

Political Shifts and Electric Dreams

22:00 • 7min

Tesla's Exclusion from the White House EV Summit: A Political Analysis

29:24 • 5min

Elon Musk has made more headlines than usual as he travels all over Pennsylvania, working to help Donald Trump win the state in the Nov. 5 presidential election. As usual, the right-wing billionaire (Musk in this case) has been doing things his way, behaving like Trump by pushing traditional boundaries for campaigning, while also potentially violating election laws. Musk’s latest gambit, to offer swing state residents the chance at winning a $1 million if they sign a petition promising they’ll support the First and Second Amendments (which, for the record, became law several hundred years ago) has a caught the eye of Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro (to qualify, one has to register to vote).

Shapiro has said that law enforcement should look at this practice, which has been criticized as yet another way to manipulate the election. On this week’s episode of Elon, Inc, host David Papadopoulos and Bloomberg Businessweek senior writer Max Chafkin discuss Musk’s latest political exploit in the Keystone State.

But we also take a step back. How on Earth did we end up in this situation? What does it mean that the world’s richest person has been united with Trump, a twice-impeached, convicted felon who is the subject of multiple felony prosecutions? In the three part limited series Citizen Elon—hosted by Chafkin—we’ll explore how Musk’s politics have (and have not) changed over time; what the mercurial chief executive of a huge social network can do to tilt the political information war; how money (dark and light) provides the infrastructure for the 2024 presidential race; and finally, what’s at stake for Musk himself in this unprecedented dive headfirst into the political sphere. In today’s episode we run an excerpt from the first episode, “Flipping the Table.”

Citizen Elon will publish in the Elon, Inc. feed on Fridays, but Bloomberg.com subscribers get every episode early. Subscribe today at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer, and follow Elon, Inc. on Apple Podcasts or wherever you like to listen.

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