Elon Musk is right now the wealthiest man alive. The source of his wealth is several world-renowned companies. He is the founder of the biggest tech giants like SpaceX, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Tesla Motors. From amazing self-driving electric automobiles to exploring space, he has many amazing achievements under his belt.

Lately, Musk has been the center of the talk due to a different reason, which is politics. He is actively collaborating with the newly elected president Donald Trump, which is unlike Musk’s previous record, as he never involves directly into government matters. There are a lot of divided opinions among people in which Trump supporters are happy whereas the Liberals are not. According to left-wing media and spokespersons, it is against the nation’s interest for a tech mogul to interact with the government and shape the policies towards his interests.

History of Elon Musk’s Political Views

Elon Musk was not a political person in the beginning. He remained an independent voter, identifying as neither Republican nor Democrat. He once said that his sole interest was the development of technology and business.

But with time, his engagement in politics increased as his business grew. He was considered a climate change icon due to his electric technology vehicles and energy production. He also helped to incentivize electric vehicle technology by the government over fuel-oriented technology. His business of Tesla Motors grew beyond imagination due to the government’s leniency in regulations.

One can say that Elon’s alliances in politics were aligned with his business interests. He was the champion for climate change progressives as he advocated for clean energy and reduced carbon emissions. He also once criticized the SEC ( Security and Exchange Commission) for their overreach behavior against Tesla Motors. His message was clear as he wanted more hands-off approach from the government in the fields of tech and innovations.

His view was simple that the government should appreciate the development in technology rather than limiting it with regulations.

The Growth of Elon Musk’s Political Influence

As Elon Musk’s companies became world giants, his voice became louder and was heard by growing fans worldwide. His politics were influenced mostly by the economy, technology, business, and taxation. Most of his companies were vertically integrated, in which many competent people were employed.

He kept a keen eye on the economy, as he thought a good economy was the basis of the country’s evolution in development and technology. He was always against taxation. He made headlines in 2021 when he criticized Biden’s administration taxation proposal. The proposal was to increase taxes on wealthy Americans and Big corporations. He argued that it was against the spirit of the nation and would undermine competitiveness. 

His advocacy aligned with the Democrats about the reduced intervention of government in economic affairs. On the other hand, he wanted a level playing field for the wealthy, which aligned with the republican argument that being wealthy shouldn’t be treated as a crime.

Musk’s Opinion on Free Speech

Elon Musk purchased Twitter in 2022, which was the key reason for a huge shift in Democrat’s behavior against him. Before Elon, Twitter had a huge staff with the task of censorship and also providing the government with data regarding the public with different opinions. When Elon bought Twitter for $44billion, he fired over %80 staff and reduced censorship to a minimum.

Many conservative voices were celebrating this move, whereas the Democrats were not happy. Elon was against the idea of “woke” and called it divisive. In his opinion, a country where opposing arguments are suppressed is not democratic. He changed the platform’s name to X, and due to his principles, many of the advertisers pulled out. The profits of X dropped significantly, but for a person like Elon, it was not a problem. For him, the government had no right to suppress the voices against them.

Elon Musk’s Shift towards the Right

Elon Musk was not only debating government policies, but he often sparked controversies with his tweets, opening many debates about controversial topics. He was admired by his fans for his bold opinions and criticized by anyone who disagreed with him. One of the big controversies in his career was when he criticized the government of California for its extreme handling of COVID-19. He was against the complete lockdown, and mandatory masks as there was no satisfactory evidence that it worked.

Amidst COVID-19 he chose to shift his Tesla headquarters from California to Texas. He argued that the Californian government was too uptight and went overboard with taxes. His decision wasn’t very well received by the Californian government and the left branded him as a traitor. The Texas government was under a republican Governor and welcomed him with open arms. Elon also liked the tax policies under the Trump administration and after getting a harsh response from the Democrats, leaned toward the Republicans. 

In the 2024 elections, Elon Musk endorsed former president Donald Trump in a very outspoken manner. President Trump promised to promote the local manufacturing of products as well as less government control over innovation and technology. Elon went to Trump rallies and also introduced a program to enroll in a voting pool and gave $ 1 million each day to a random voter. His actions were well received by the Republicans who won the 2024 elections with a majority of 5 million votes. Elon will be heading a new department called DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) under the Trump administration where his work would be to reduce the size of the government to save taxpayers money.

Conclusion

Elon Musk is a philanthropist, billionaire, and a tech genius. His priorities are environment, technology, and free speech. He stood behind both Democrats and Republicans and has given huge donations to sway the policymakers in his direction. There is no doubt that the technology that he has introduced to the world is mind-blowing and mesmerizing. But people also question the possibility of billionaires shaping the governments and policies that directly affect the general public who lives paycheck to paycheck. Whether it is a good thing or a bad, only time will tell. But one thing is for sure, Elon Musk has a great influence on American politics and his influence is growing day by day.

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