- Windies sweat on injury to 'crucial' Taylor at World Cup
- Lebanon says 11 dead, 48 injured in Israeli strikes on Beirut
- Panama lashes out at EU over tax haven 'outrage'
- Erdogan says Gaza 'shame of humanity', calls for permanent ceasfire
- TD Bank to pay more than $3 bn to US in money-laundering case
- SAfrica prosecutors drop criminal complaint against president
- 'Good opportunity': Nagelsmann upbeat despite Germany's long injury list
- Hurricane whips up bitter US election battle
- Cameroon bans media talk of president's health amid rumours
- NFL MVP Jackson and rookie phenom Daniels set for showdown
- Chad's capital under threat as floodwaters rise
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit central Beirut
- No answers on strike on reporters in Lebanon one year on: watchdog
- Ramharack picks four wickets as Windies beat Bangladesh in Women's T20 World Cup
- France's City of Light switches to climate-resilient power cables
- Djokovic hails Nadal 'legacy' as Alcaraz in 'shock' over retirement
- Obama hits campaign trail for Harris
- Delta eyes Election Day travel pullback as profits climb
- Djokovic tells Nadal: 'Your legacy will live forever'
- Ethel Kennedy, wife of RFK, dead at 96
- Zelensky denies ceasefire with Russia under discussion on trip
- Florida battered by hurricane, floods but spared 'worst-case scenario'
- After long fight for glory, Nadal leaves with a legacy of memories
- Home hopes Zheng and Wang through to last-eight in Wuhan Open
- UN peacekeepers say Israel fired on Lebanon HQ, injuring 2
- UK's William and Kate in first joint public engagement since cancer treatment
- Alcaraz out as top players pay tribute to Nadal at Shanghai Masters
- Racing's Farrell 'not thinking' about British and Irish Lions
- Alcaraz, Sinner pay tribute to 'unbelievable' Nadal at Shanghai Masters
- Over 200 women in legal talks with Harrods over Fayed abuse claims
- After K-pop, K-novels? South Korean Nobel win sparks joy, hope at home
- After Nadal exit, Djokovic left to rage against dying of the light
- A very stiff breeze: BBC says sorry for 20,000 kph wind forecast
- Triple centurion Brook happy to break Dad's club record
- Zelensky touts 'victory plan' against Russia in Macron talks
- Musk finally unveiling his long-promised robotaxi
- UN peacekeepers accuses Israel of firing on Lebanon HQ
- London's Frieze art fair goes potty for ceramics
- Southgate taking year out from coaching
- US, Europe stocks fall on US inflation data
- Zelensky meets Macron in Paris as part of European tour
- Hurricane Milton shreds Florida stadium roof
- UN probe accuses Israel of seeking to 'destroy' Gaza healthcare
- US consumer inflation eases to 2.4% in September
- England in sight of victory after Brook's triple hundred
- Juventus readmitted to ECA after failed Super League revolt
- World number 2 Alcaraz knocked out of Shanghai Masters by Machac
- Leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia meet amid regional tensions
- Klopp's Red Bull decision 'ruined life's work' say Dortmund fans
- Han Kang wins South Korea's first literature Nobel
RBGPF | 4.03% | 63.35 | $ | |
RYCEF | 0% | 6.9 | $ | |
CMSC | 0.15% | 24.557 | $ | |
BCC | -2.88% | 138.41 | $ | |
SCS | -3.7% | 12.565 | $ | |
BTI | -0.97% | 35.14 | $ | |
AZN | -0.99% | 76.745 | $ | |
NGG | 0.14% | 65.72 | $ | |
RIO | 0.53% | 66.705 | $ | |
GSK | -2.85% | 39.125 | $ | |
RELX | -0.77% | 46.355 | $ | |
JRI | -0.1% | 13.207 | $ | |
VOD | -0.31% | 9.7 | $ | |
BCE | -1.71% | 32.75 | $ | |
BP | 0.9% | 32.27 | $ | |
CMSD | 0.27% | 24.746 | $ |
Will Musk help Trump with cash, not just tweets?
Elon Musk, one of the world's richest people, says he won't directly back Joe Biden or Donald Trump in the US election -- but one look at his X feed makes clear his heart is with the Republican.
Trump, meanwhile, needs cash -- burdened with millions of dollars in legal troubles, he is also gearing up to fight what will be the most expensive election in US history.
So could Musk ride to Trump's rescue?
In a recent interview with former CNN anchor Don Lemon, the owner of X, formerly Twitter, said he was "leaning away" from Biden, but maintained that it was "unlikely" he would contribute to any campaign.
If he chose to back a candidate, "I will provide a very detailed explanation of why I am endorsing one or the other."
For close Musk watchers, however, this seemed to edge away from a firm pledge days earlier to stay above the fray.
It came as Trump is picking up the phone to call multi-billionaires, hoping they will open their checkbooks and come to his rescue, according to The Washington Post.
Cold-calling those richer than him is not something Trump enjoys, but the former president is trailing Biden badly in fundraising and the campaign has still eight months to go.
- Billionaire breakfast -
Two of the world's most public, and controversial, figures, Trump and Musk have not always seen eye to eye.
Trump, for one, is not a believer in electric cars such as those that Musk, who is also chief at Tesla, has championed -- he has ridiculed them for being inconvenient and dependent on government subsidies.
During his 2016-2020 presidency, Musk kept his distance -- though that was before his public tilt to the far right.
Musk also flirted with Trump alternatives in the Republican primary, expressing support for Florida governor Ron DeSantis and entrepeneur Vivek Ramaswamy before they flamed out.
Observers agree that Trump has remained quiet on Musk's transgressions in hope for his money.
The Washington Post revealed that Musk attended a breakfast for billionaires in Florida last month where the former president pitched a group of donors.
That provoked swift speculation -- but Musk said "it was just breakfast," and that nothing more came out of it.
- 'Dark money' -
If Musk wanted to help Trump more directly, he could hand over limitless cash anonymously, according US election laws.
Called "dark money" by its critics, Musk could bankroll a candidate incognito via specially-created nonprofits called Super PACS.
"These groups can run ads that literally say, 'vote for Trump'" without any required disclosure on the source of the money behind them, said Shanna Ports, senior legal counsel at the Campaign Legal Center.
Another avenue is to contribute after the fact: Musk could help erase Trump's debts after the election, and thereby avoid riling the current White House occupant.
A rumor circulated in recent weeks that Trump was also pitching Musk to buy his social media platform Truth Social, and combine it with X.
Truth Social's parent company went public last week, with shares initially soaring on Wall Street. That meant Trump, who has nearly 80 million shares in the venture, has holdings now estimated in the billions, meaning he may be less desperate for cash.
But that wealth is on paper only, and financial experts warn that the mega-valuation could vanish if Trump ever tries to sell his shares.
- 'Combustible' -
Money aside, Musk's political inclinations give Trump a clear boost.
His presence on social media is often rife with unfounded conspiracy theories, disinformation and right-wing talking points that align with Trump, especially on immigration.
They also take place on a platform he owns -- where he has free rein to promote (or demote) certain content.
The US Federal Election Committee has received complaints in the past when platforms were perceived as biased, though it never acted on them.
"Those combined create a combustible moment for us where the experience on Twitter (X) is in the hands of a haphazard erratic billionaire who gets bored and uses it to promote his own views," said Nora Benavidez, senior counsel at the watchdog Free Press.
Donations or not, "Musk's influence is incredibly powerful," she added.
G.Stevens--AMWN