Elon Musk’s PAC is powered by coal
Coal billionaire Joe Craft is one of America PAC’s biggest donors, according to campaign finance records reviewed by HEATED.
Elon Musk, the erstwhile “climate hero” who built his name and fortune on clean technology, has an unexpected partner in his bid to re-elect Donald Trump: Big Coal.
Joe Craft, the billionaire CEO of coal mining company Alliance Resource Partners, is one of the top donors to Elon Musk’s America PAC, according to campaign finance disclosures reviewed by HEATED. Craft made a one-time donation of $1 million to Musk’s PAC in June, marking the coal magnate’s single-largest campaign contribution to date.
Craft, who has deep ties to the Republican Party and Trump, is America PAC’s only fossil fuel funder. All other large donations have come from people with ties to Musk and the tech industry, including SpaceX board director Antonio Gracias, PayPal former executive Ken Howery, and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale.
America PAC has made headlines this election season due to its $75 million contribution from Musk; its highly sexist advertising; and its potentially illegal million-dollar giveaways. But its previously unreported fellowship with Craft is also "hugely significant,” said Dave Anderson, policy and communications manager at the watchdog and clean energy advocate the Energy and Policy Institute (EPI).
“It’s just surprising to me that a super PAC led by Elon Musk of all people would be taking money from a coal baron who is so anti-climate science and anti-clean tech, given that Musk has built his wealth and prestige in American industry by investing in clean tech and electric vehicles,” Anderson said.
But Musk has more in common with the coal executive than one might think.
