Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, arrange a questionably authorized lottery to drum up swing state assist for Donald Trump — a lottery that’s already fallen beneath regulatory scrutiny for its wanton use of money. In line with people who’ve signed up, nonetheless, Musk might have discovered a approach round these pesky legal guidelines: Merely not truly paying anybody.
Along with each day $1,000,000 payouts, Musk’s swing state efforts embrace a referral program — registered voters who get different registered voters to signal the Tesla CEO’s weirdly obscure petition get $47 every. But, when
Rolling Stone talked to voters who’d carried out simply that, they mentioned that none of them had but seen a dime:
In early October, some signatories obtained hand deliveries of $47 in money, posing for photo-ops to tout the deal. Most, although, expect checks within the mail, and a few have grown impatient. One subject, to evaluate by replies to Musk’s posts on X (previously Twitter), is that voters have misinterpret the phrases of the America PAC provide, and suppose that simply signing the petition will earn them cash. “WHERE’S MY $47? I SIGNED ALREADY,” one Donald Trump supporter replied to Musk on Sunday. “I signed up and didn’t get $47,” one other X consumer tried to tell Musk earlier this month, appending a cranium emoji to his message. And even those that apparently understood the referral system have complained of not receiving funds. “I signed up three folks however didn’t get the $47,” one other individual replied to Musk this week, including, “nonetheless glad I did it however questioning if that was a rip-off.”
Out of 30 folks contacted by Rolling Stone who mentioned they’d tried to say cost by way of the America PAC petition provide, most didn’t reply. Of the 9 who did, none have obtained funds up to now. Six indicated that they assist neither Musk nor Trump and easily needed to say the money.
This possible isn’t an intentional transfer to skirt the legislation from Musk — he’s already proven a willingness to openly flout laws — however might as a substitute fall beneath the overall huckster, snake oil salesman method that he brings to all points of his life outdoors of white supremacy. Consider these $47 funds just like the Hyperloop, or self-driving vehicles, or the Springfield Monorail.
It’s attainable that, reasonably than drumming up assist for Trump, Musk’s failure to do something he says he’ll do (once more, outdoors of bigotry) might truly damage the previous President in the long term. Individuals usually don’t prefer it when different folks owe them cash with out paying up, and nobody is aware of when — or if — Musk will ever make good on his guarantees.
