(Bloomberg) -- Many billionaires have endorsed Donald Trump, but he’s mostly talking about one. A lot.
Trump mentioned Elon Musk 82 times since the Tesla Inc. and SpaceX Chief Executive Officer publicly endorsed the former president in July through the end of September, compared to five times in the previous six months, according to a Bloomberg analysis of 144 public appearances over the first nine months of the year.(1)
Musk, who’s funneled $75 million to the pro-Trump PAC he founded, isn’t just any billionaire dabbling in politics. He and the six companies he oversees have a lot to gain—or lose—from who sits in the Oval Office next year.

Donald Trump Can’t Stop Talking About Elon Musk

By Dana Hull and Jade Khatib

October 18, 2024 at 5:00AM EDT

With less than three weeks to go before Election Day, Musk is throwing the full weight of his fame, wealth and influence behind Trump.

“If he loses, I’m f--ked,” he said, chuckling, during a recent interview with Tucker Carlson.

“How long do you think my prison sentence is going to be? Will I see my children? I don’t know. . .”

Musk, 53, and Trump, 78, have a complicated history.

Musk served on Trump’s business advisory councils during his first term, but quit in June 2017 after the former president announced that the US would withdraw from the landmark Paris climate accord.
In July 2022, Trump lashed out at Musk and called him a “bulls**t artist.”
Days after that, Musk posted that it was “time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset.”
The pair have obviously made amends, and the former president has shown a willingness to forgive and forget when it serves him.
Trump has also softened his public stance on EVs, an important win for Musk at a time when electric vehicle sales growth has slowed.