The Musk Takeover: How $119M in Political Donations Turned Into $334B Fortune (And a Government Job)

The Setup

Elon Musk just pulled off what might be the most profitable political gamble in modern history. He donated $119 million to get Trump back to the White House. Trump won. Musk got a government gig running DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) alongside Vivek Ramaswamy.

Here’s where it gets spicy: Musk’s net worth hit a record $334 billion on November 22—up $70 billion in weeks after the election. Coincidence? Probably not.

Follow the Money

Investors are basically saying: “This guy just got access to government.” Tesla stock surged. xAI raised $5 billion at a $50 billion valuation. SpaceX preparing another tender offer that could value his stake at over $105 billion.

But here’s the conflict of interest nobody’s talking about:

• SpaceX: ~$20 billion in NASA + DoD contracts since 2008
• Tesla: Under NHTSA investigation (autopilot crashes, 30+ fatalities since 2018). Stock surged anyway.
• X (Twitter): FCC regulation incoming. Trump’s FCC nominee pick? Openly pro-Musk.
• Starlink: Lost $900M in rural broadband subsidies in 2022. That decision “unlikely to be revisited” with new FCC chair.

The Wealth Breakdown

• Tesla (12% ownership): The crown jewel. Surged post-election despite legal headwinds (SEC securities fraud settlement in 2018, Delaware judge voided his $9% options deal in 2024)
• SpaceX (42%): Valued at ~$210B, potentially $250B next. His stake alone: $100B+
• xAI (54%): Only founded in 2023 but already $50B valuation, $100M annualized revenue
• X/Twitter (74%): Bought for $44B in late 2022, now worth $9B (net of debt). Massive loss on paper, but he controls a 206M-follower megaphone
• The Boring Company (69%): $8.3B valuation
• Neuralink (69%): $7.2B valuation, FDA-approved human trials ongoing

The Dark Side

Musk has donated only $406 million to charity over his lifetime—less than 0.1% of his net worth. He signed the Giving Pledge back in 2012.

What’s Next?

Musk claims he’ll cut $2 trillion in government spending through DOGE. But he won’t be a federal employee, so he doesn’t have to divest any assets—unlike most government officials. Essentially: full government access, zero asset restrictions.

The question everyone’s asking: Is this the most brilliant power play ever, or the most obvious conflict of interest setup in decades? Time will tell.