Elon Musk has announced that he is giving away as much as $1 million every day to anyone who signs his new petition in support of the First and Second Amendments.
The Tesla CEO and MAGA mega-donor are being criticized on social media as many believe his efforts are corrupt and unethical.
He launched the incentive Saturday evening at a town hall in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as the crowd cheered at the chance to become a millionaire.
“We’re going to randomly award $1 million to people who sign the petition every day from now until the election,” Musk said against the backdrop of an American flag.
John Dreher, a Pennsylvania man, was the very first petition signer who became a Musk-made millionaire.
Elon Musk jumped onto the stage Saturday as he addressed the crowd at a town hall in Pennsylvania
Musk was holding an oversized check when he called Dreher to redeem his award. He excitedly ran to the stage, fist in the air and waving a ‘vote early PA’ sign.
Dreher said: “Thanks Elon, this is great. I’m really ecstatic.
‘I’ve been following you for ten years, got your biography ten years ago and have been watching ever since. I’m a big fan.’
But not everyone was as enthusiastic about Musk as Dreher.
“If Elon Musk giving away $1 million checks for votes doesn’t get the attention of the DOJ and the FEC, I fucking give up,” Jim Stewartson, a podcast host and political writer, wrote on X.
‘How is this legal? Outright bribery,” said one user – whose bio “was raised Republican, voted Republican and now supports Harris.”
Others called Musk “desperate” and “less and less relevant” every time he makes a new announcement.
Several people echoed this confusion about how Musk is allowed to use money to influence people’s political actions.
Another pro-Harris account wrote: “The ultimate ‘billionaire purchasing election.’ It should be illegal, right? Hello Ministry of Justice?’
Musk announced that he will award $1 million every day to a new person who signs his petition
Musk caused a slew of online controversies and backlash due to his stimulus
One user expressed deep concern: “You are destroying the rule of law if you let billionaires buy votes. Elon Musk doesn’t need the rule of law, he can only buy political influence.
‘He can just buy Trump. The rule of law is for people who cannot buy politicians.’
Other users expressed their approval and praise for Musk and his methods of gaining support.
Musk has previously offered money to people who signed his petition, but the $1 million is the highest amount
Musk was accused of ‘bribery’ and trying to ‘buy political influence’
“Elon is playing chess while everyone else is stuck playing checkers. “Putting $1 million into the hands of everyday people and shaking up the system at the same time is genius,” wrote political author John Eid.
Legion Health co-founder Arthur MacWaters wrote, “That’s insane. What a wild level of ‘all in’. But in retrospect it will seem like a small price to pay to preserve freedom of speech, free elections and the rule of law.”
Under a post about Musk’s announcement, Republican candidate Donald Trump chimed in to cheer on the SpaceX mogul.
He wrote: ‘This is a game changer! Elon is making waves with this initiative. I can’t wait to see who wins that $1 million! Let’s continue to insist on freedom of expression!’
Musk has been an active fundraiser and Trump supporter. He is the sole donor to his pro-Trump political group America PAC, which was founded in July.
The America PAC petition was intended to target swing states before the election
He gave the group $75 million in just three months.
The PAC’s “Petition in Favor of Freedom of Speech and the Right to Bear Arms” states: “The First and Second Amendments guarantee freedom of speech and the right to bear arms.”
Musk’s goal was to target swing state voters.
It reads: “Our goal is to get 1 million registered voters in swing states to sign the Constitution, especially freedom of speech and the right to bear arms.”
At Saturday’s town hall, Musk explained his reasoning for the petition.
He said: ‘One of the challenges we face is how do we make sure people are aware of this petition?’
Musk claimed that the media “won’t report” on what he does, so he decided that adding money to the mix would make it undeniably attention-grabbing.
X’s CEO pledged Thursday to give $100 to every Pennsylvania registered voter who signed. Voters in Pennsylvania can also earn $100 per voter they refer to the petition.
John Dreher was the first person to receive $1 million for signing the petition
Donald Trump addressed the crowd at a rally in Pennsylvania to drum up support in the swing state. Musk is an avid Trump supporter
Musk also offered other swing states a financial incentive. Signers in Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and North Carolina can earn $47 for each registered voter they refer to the document.
Votes from the seven battleground states could determine the outcome of the November 5 elections.
So far, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris has pulled ahead of Trump in early voting.
Democrats have surpassed Republicans when it comes to showing up early to vote or casting absentee ballots.