Elon Musk Donated $5.7B in Tesla Stock to Charity Last Year

FEB 11 2022·Updated JAN 2 2023

Story

Image credit: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images [via The Guardian]

The Facts

Musk reportedly donated roughly $5.7B in Tesla shares to charity last year.
New York Post
5,044,000 shares were donated in Nov. 2020, according to the SEC.
New York Post
They were donated days after the World Food Programme publicized a plan on how $6B could help combat famine.
Business Insider
The donations make Musk the second-biggest philanthropist after Bill and Melinda Gates. But some have speculated that gifting Tesla stock was also a tax benefit to the CEO.
Daily Mail

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Despite being the richest man in the world, Musk is also one of its biggest tax-dodgers and has donated less than 1% of his net worth, unlike other billionaires, such as Buffet and Soros, who've given over 20%.

Independent

Narrative B

Musk has become more active in gifting as his net worth has grown over recent years. He has funded research into issues like carbon removal and tackling COVID and is clearly committed to effective altruism.

Al Jazeera