By Patrick Svitek – Washington Post – Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Tuesday that he plans to do “a lot less” political spending going forward, after he spent massively to elect Donald Trump in the latest presidential election.
“I think I’ve done enough,” Musk, the richest man in the world, said during an interview at the Qatar Economic Forum.
Asked if he planned to spend less due to “blowback,” Musk replied: “Well, if I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it. I don’t currently see a reason.”
Musk spent at least $288 million to elect Trump and other GOP candidates in the November election. Trump then tapped him to lead the U.S. DOGE Service, whose efforts to downsize the federal government have drawn immense scrutiny to Musk and his companies.
Musk sought to replicate his political efforts in an April special election for a pivotal seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, helping make it the costliest judicial race in U.S. history. But the Republican-aligned candidate lost, and Musk has since stepped back from the political spotlight.
Musk was interviewed at the Qatar conference by the Bloomberg journalist Mishal Husain.
