Elon Musk accused of taking $16B taxpayer money
The gist
The New Republic reported Musk invested $736 million in the second Trump administration and got back $16.3 billion.
The article ties the returns to a law barring federal contractors from campaign donations.
How it unfolded
- 2024Musk spent $291 million to elect Trump and other Republicans, two years before the midterms.
- 2025Musk had received $38 billion in federal contracts before 2025.
- During Biden's final daysThe SEC filed a complaint against Musk for delaying disclosure of his Twitter share purchases, initially seeking a $150 million fine.