Elon Musk has removed social media posts that encouraged voters to support Republican candidates in the recent US midterm elections. This decision came after the Democratic Party made substantial gains, securing control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Among the deleted content was a pinned message from October 29, urging voters to elect Republican senators, as well as an Election Day appeal that stated, “Vote red today!”

The removal of these posts occurred early on Wednesday, coinciding with the announcement of Democrat James Talarico’s victory in the Texas Senate race. The Associated Press confirmed Talarico’s win shortly after 11 pm EST on Tuesday, marking the defeat of Republican Ken Paxton, who had received considerable financial support from Musk.

Musk’s chatbot Grok confirmed the deletion of the posts after an inquiry from a user on X, stating that the posts were removed following “major Republican losses.” This Election Day appeal was one of Musk’s few direct endorsements for Republican candidates during this election cycle.

Musk’s Responses to Election Results

On Wednesday morning, Musk became more active on X, sharing various posts that analysed the election results and included sarcastic comments regarding the Republican defeats. One of his posts remarked, “Guess my election-interfering space lasers didn’t work this time 🤷‍♂️.” He also made a comment about the appeal of data centres in space, suggesting a shift in focus following the election outcomes.

In addition to his remarks, Musk responded to a post that claimed voters aligned with Republican policies but still chose to vote for Democrats. He commented on the failure of a California ballot measure that sought to require government-issued photo identification for in-person voting, highlighting the complexities of voter sentiment.

Following his commentary on the elections, Musk returned to discussing his business ventures, including Starlink and Grok, as reported by various news outlets.

Financial Contributions to Republican Causes

Musk has been a prominent financial supporter of Republican candidates and political initiatives during the midterm election cycle. Reports indicate that he contributed at least Rs 3,790 crore ($458 million) to Republican-aligned causes, making him one of the largest individual donors in contemporary US political history.

Federal Election Commission filings reveal that approximately Rs 1,800 crore ($216 million) was directed to his super PAC, America PAC, which funded voter turnout efforts, grassroots campaigning, and targeted advertising. Musk’s financial contributions increased in the latter half of the election cycle as he aimed to assist Republicans in maintaining their congressional majority.

Data indicates that Musk’s overall spending, including contributions to super PACs and individual donations, reached around Rs 3,950 crore ($474 million). An estimated Rs 1,860 crore ($224 million) was spent specifically in Texas, where 106 candidates across the House and Senate received his backing. As of Wednesday afternoon, 19 of those candidates had won, while 47 had lost, with 40 races still uncalled.

Impact on Musk’s Wealth and Company Values

The election results coincided with a decline in the market value of Musk’s companies and a reduction in his personal wealth. Forbes reported that Musk’s net worth fell to Rs 7,250 crore ($878 billion) on Wednesday, a decrease of Rs 1,950 crore ($23.7 billion) as markets reacted to the Democratic victories.

Shares of Tesla and SpaceX experienced declines, reflecting concerns about potential regulatory challenges in data centre construction. Tesla shares dropped by 3.3%, while SpaceX shares fell by 3.8%, resulting in a loss of over Rs 1,000 crore ($120 billion) in market value, according to Bloomberg.

This downturn followed an expensive election cycle for Musk, who had previously supported candidates aligned with Donald Trump in the 2024 election. Reports indicate that Musk had spent around Rs 2,400 crore ($291 million) during that earlier cycle.

Long or Short, get news the way you like. No ads. No redirections. Download Newspin and Stay Alert, The CSR Journal Mobile app, for fast, crisp, clean updates!

App Store – https://apps.apple.com/in/app/newspin/id6746449540

Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.inventifweb.newspin&pcampaignid=web_share