Elon Musk it is not spending $45 million a month to elect former President Donald Trump, even though he created a new super political action committee (PAC) to finance the Republican candidate, the billionaire counted conservative commentator Jordan Peterson during an interview Monday night.
During the interview, hosted on Musk’s platform, X, Peterson asked Musk if he had been “shocked” by donating a substantial amount of money to Trump’s campaign. Musk – who has already criticized Trump, calling him “bull in a china shop” – pause to correct the “media”.
“What has been reported in the media is simply not true,” Musk said. “I’m not donating $45 million a month to Trump.”
Wall Street Journal first reported about the allegation, citing sources “familiar with the matter.” The outlet has not yet issued a retraction or follow-up article altering its reporting.
Musk noted that he created a super PAC, called America PAC, to help support Trump. A super PAC is a group that can raise unlimited amounts of money for expenses independent of a campaign — such as advertisements or daily operations — but does not donate directly to the campaign. They have become prominent among Democrats and Republicans since a 2010 D.C. appeals court decision which authorized the existence of super PACS. For a typical PAC, donors are limited to donations of just $5,000 per year.
Several technology company leaders have donated to America PAC, including Ken Howery, an early Paypal executive along with Musk, Antonio Gracias, a private equity leader, Sequoia Capital’s Shuan Maguire, and the Winklevoss twins.
The super PAC is also led in part by Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of the software company Palantir and a politically ambitious venture capitalist in Austin who is close to Musk. according to for the New York Times.
Austin-based America PAC “shouldn’t be some kind of hyper-partisan organization,” Musk said. He said he is not part of MAGA – or Make America Great Again, Trump’s campaign slogan – but rather that his principles are aligned with “MAG”: Make America Greater.
“I do not prescribe [a] cult of personality,” said Musk. But he added that Trump demonstrated “great courage” after being shot in an assassination attempt on July 13, and that this strength helps intimidate America’s enemies.
Additionally, Musk talked about the “core values” that make America great, which he thinks the Republican Party embodies more than the Democrats.
“One of those values is meritocracy, as much meritocracy as possible, so that you progress based on your ability and nothing else,” said Musk.
He also added that one of the principles the PAC aligned itself with was “freedom,” particularly freedom from “as much government intervention as possible.” The government’s hand gets heavier every year, and if we don’t roll back some restrictions and regulations, eventually “everything will be illegal,” Musk said.
When Peterson pressed Musk on why he was switching to Trump after long voting Democrat, Musk said the Democrats had become the party of censorship.
He also criticized a lawsuit that the Department of Justice – under the administration of President Joe Biden – filed against his company EspaçoXlast year, claiming that Musk discouraged refugees and asylum seekers from applying to work at the aerospace company. A court order later prevented the US from pursuing the case.
Editor’s note: The title of this article has been updated for clarity, to reflect that Elon Musk never personally confirmed the reported donation.
This story was originally featured in Fortune.com
