Elon Musk flaunts his being different.
He has decided to use his name, power and charisma to influence the midterm elections which take place Nov. 8.
The CEO of Tesla (TSLA) continues to differentiate himself from other corporate bosses by getting even more involved in politics.
Musk, who recently bought the social network Twitter for $44 billion, wants to use his influence to weigh in on the affairs of the country. He feels it is his duty. In doing so, he is not afraid of a backlash, unlike other bosses who often fear that public positions on sensitive and political topics and debates will alienate some of their customers and shareholders.
This is not the case with Musk. He was thus one of the very first CEOs to support Ukraine, invaded on February 24 by Russia. He provided the Ukrainians with Starlink, the satellite Internet access service developed by his aerospace company SpaceX.
The service is now the only communication system for the Ukrainian armed forces on the front and allows people to stay connected and tell their daily stories under Russian attacks.
'I Recommend'
Musk also didn't shy away from proposing a much-discussed peace plan to end this war.
But he does not stop at geopolitical affairs. He also meddles in domestic politics. The billionaire has just urged independent voters to vote Republican in the midterm elections taking place tomorrow.
"To independent-minded voters: Shared power curbs the worst excesses of both parties," he posted on Twitter on November 7. "Therefore I recommend voting for a Republican Congress, given that the Presidency is Democratic."
He continued: "Hardcore Democrats or Republicans never vote for the other side, so independent voters are the ones who actually decide who’s in charge!"
"Like most people in America, I agree with some of the Democrat and some of the Republican policies, but not all," Musk explained. "However, if executive and legislative branches are dominated by *one* party, then we lose balance of power."
The mogul insisted on pointing out that in the past he had always voted Democratic. He also said he wouldn't rule out voting Democratic in the future.
"To be clear, my historical party affiliation has been Independent, with an actual voting history of entirely Democrat until this year," he said. "And I’m open to the idea of voting Democrat again in the future."
The billionaire has never hesitated in using his influence to draw attention to matters he considers important. He has nearly 115 million followers on Twitter, making him the second most influential personality on the platform, after former Democratic President Barack Obama. This gives him a massive megaphone to steer public opinion and influence potential outcomes.
Musk has a legion of fans, following him since he changed the auto industry with Tesla. These fans, with whom he regularly interacts on social networks, never hesitate to defend him against criticism, as they believe him to be the last visionary of our time.
The control of both chambers of Congress is at stake, with 435 House seats and 35 of the 100 Senate seats up for grabs. Dozens of governorships, secretaries of states and attorneys general are also on the ballot.
Reactions to Musk's call were mixed on Twitter. For some, the billionaire does not have the right to give advice on whom to vote for, while others believe that the choice he is advocating is the right one.
"Why are you meddling in the elections?" asked a Twitter user.
"You are influencing elections..." another user responded.
"Obama who has more followers was saying to vote democrat? Whats the difference?" countered another user.
"Elon we love and support you," added another user.
'First Time I Ever Voted Republican'
Musk's choice is not really surprising. The tech tycoon has become a darling of the right and the Republicans in recent months, by promising that his Twitter will defend free speech at all costs. In other words, he would lift the suspension of many conservative accounts for violating Twitter's content policy.
Last June, the billionaire entrepreneur, who has been living in Texas since 2021, revealed that he had voted for a Republican candidate, a first in local elections.
Musk then predicted a Republican wave in the midterm elections.
"I voted for Mayra Flores – first time I ever voted Republican," the charismatic and whimsical CEO of Tesla wrote to his 98 million followers on June 15. "Massive red wave in 2022."
The same day, the billionaire indicated that he was leaning toward the Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, as the conservative candidate for the presidential election in 2024.
Musk has also pledged to personally spend $20 million to $25 million to support his favorite candidate in the presidential election.
In August, Musk was the guest speaker at House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's (R-California) traditional annual retreat in Wyoming, a gathering of elected Republicans.
