Elon Musk faces lawsuit over $1m-a-day election contest

The lawsuit claims Musk and America Pac misled voters into believing winners were chosen at random.

Elon Musk is facing a class action lawsuit filed by registered voters who signed his petition to support the constitution for a chance to win his $1 million-a-day giveaway, claiming the promotion was a scam.

The complaint, lodged by Arizona resident Jacqueline McAferty in federal court, alleges that Musk and his America Pac organisation falsely encouraged voters to sign the petition under the premise that winners would be selected randomly.

However, the lawsuit claims that the winners were chosen by Pac members. Musk’s legal team later confirmed in court that the results were not random, revealing that the winners were intended to serve as spokespeople for the group.

“The $1 million winners are not selected randomly,” said Chris Gober, Musk's lawyer, during a hearing in Pennsylvania. “We know exactly who will be named as the recipients.” Meanwhile, Musk had previously stated at a campaign rally that his Pac would randomly award the money to petition signers.

McAferty further alleges that the defendants profited from the campaign by driving traffic to Musk’s X social media platform and collecting personal data, such as names, addresses, and phone numbers, which they could potentially sell. Both Musk's lawyers and those representing McAferty did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

This lawsuit follows a recent court decision in Philadelphia, where a judge rejected a request by District Attorney Larry Krasner to halt the giveaway, which he had deemed an illegal lottery.

This ruling was seen as symbolic since Musk has no plans to continue the giveaway after the US presidential election.

Musk, known as the world's wealthiest individual, launched the giveaway in seven key battleground states, targeting voters who signed the petition to back free speech and gun rights.

The lawsuit is seeking at least $5 million in damages for all petition signers.

Musk has publicly supported Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race, contributing more than $100 million through America Pac.