Elon Musk’s million-dollar-a-day lottery is probably illegal

Elon Musk recently set up a $1 million-a-day lottery for a randomly selected signatory of a petition from a key state.

This initiative is aimed exclusively at voters in one of the 7 key states where the elections will be played out.

Pennsylvania's Democratic governor Josh Shapiro has called on law enforcement to investigate Elon Musk after he promised to give away $1 million every day until Election Day. More on the Reuters World News podcast https://t.co/d42FfGJTlM pic.twitter.com/7rmEF1ars9

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 21, 2024

However, many experts believe that Musk may have broken the law, which could result in a five-year prison sentence.

Elon Musk presented the first giant check to a delighted participant at a Town Hall in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, October 19.

The problem for Musk is that he’s offering this contest to people who sign a petition, but to be eligible, participants must be registered to vote.

But in the U.S., it’s illegal to hand out money in trade for voter registration, which could pose a serious problem for Elon Musk.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has called for an investigation into Elon Musk, calling his practice “deeply concerning”.