Elon Musk, no doubt, is an influential figure behind Donald Trump's recent victory. The Tesla CEO and X owner helped reshape Trump's voter base, particularly among young, college-age males—the category that has generally trended Democratic.
With the House of Representatives likely remaining in GOP control, Trump might gain both legislative and executive powers. What will Elon gain from Trump's return to the throne?
Donald Trump Acknowledges Musk in Victory Speech
Trump delivered a rousing victory speech early Wednesday in which he gave a special nod to Musk, whom supporters were chanting for. According to Fortune, Musk tweeted his own celebratory message, this time posting a doctored image of himself entering the Oval Office holding his famous "sink" prop, quipping, "Let that sink in."
Following the win, Tesla's stock rose 13% in pre-market trading as investors believed that Trump would probably protect the car manufacturer from federal investigations and regulatory scrutiny, especially regarding its autonomous driving technology. The $100 billion boost indicates the increasing influence of Musk in politics and finance.
"Let me tell you, we have a new star," Trump said. "A star is born—Elon. He's an amazing guy."
Musk's Key Role in Trump's Campaign Success
But let's say what this man and his company meant the real deal to Trump, and how he's being backed was necessary as Trump would then proceed, risking more probable backlash by making openly known public affinity. This can be done by promoting messages on his social media as a step further in loyal followers who believe in whatever it promises them while going about laying others low.
Much can be said in it also saw to putting grassroots movement in place as they started conducting $1 million per day sweepstakes targeting both first and second time republicans.
Musk's purchase of X(formerly known as Twitter) was extremely consequential since many conservatives thanked him for restoring their voices, which Twitter had silenced under earlier policies.
The Pro-Trump Tesla influencer Dillon Loomis alleged that the victory of Trump was because Musk bought Twitter, citing a specific court judgment made by Judge Kathaleen McCormick.
Loomis hypothesized that by imposing McCormick and letting it inadvertently win the election Musk took control of a platform vital to Trump's reelection strategy.
'Dark MAGA'
Musk's political transformation began when he increasingly became alienated from the Democratic Party. He started with lockdown discontent during the pandemic, flouting California's shutdown order when he refused to close down Tesla's Fremont factory, prompting state officials.
One Democratic assembly member famously tweeted, "F*ck Elon Musk," to which Musk dryly replied, "Message received."
After feeling slighted by the Biden administration and personally criticized by a senator like Elizabeth Warren, who called him a "freeloader," Musk's stance hardened.
He was even snubbed from a White House summit on electric vehicles, a perceived slight given Tesla's market leadership. These experiences have been said to alienate Musk from the Democratic Party, as Walter Isaacson, a renowned biographer, attributes it as a turning point in Musk's political evolution.
In March, he said that he would support neither campaign, but after someone attempted to assassinate Trump in Pennsylvania, he reversed this decision. By July, Musk declared his support, defining himself as "Dark MAGA" and firmly joining former President Trump's comeback cause.
Tesla Climbs on Trump's Win
As it became clear that Trump would win by a landslide, Tesla shares soared as investors bet that a White House friendly to Musk would ease investigations into Tesla's autonomous driving technology. That jibes with comments made by Trump on Wednesday when he praised Musk and called him a "super genius" while insisting the country needs to "protect our geniuses."
As NBC said, Musk could be the biggest winner for the second term of Trump in the White House. With several connections to major companies and leaders, Trump needs to keep him by his side—like a knight guarding the king.
