What does ‘Cult of Personality’ mean? Elon Musk denies reports of donating $45 million a month pledge to Trump

On July 22, Elon Musk dismissed the claims that he was donating $45 million to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign during an interview with conservative political commentator Jordan Peterson.

“What’s been reported in the media is simply not true. I am not donating $45 million a month to Trump… I don’t prescribe to [a] cult of personality,” he said.

The phrase “cult of personality,” used by Musk, refers to an “exaggerated devotion to a charismatic political, religious, or other leader,” according to the Very Well Mind website.

Elon Musk’s denial comes amid the Wall Street Journal’s claim last week that “sources familiar with the matter” confirmed to them that the Tesla CEO was spending millions of dollars on the Republican presidential campaign.

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Exploring the definition of “cult of personality” in the wake of Elon Musk’s usage

As per the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the expression “cult of personality” is defined as a situation in which a public figure (often a political leader) is idolized and made into a national icon. The person is “deliberately presented to the people of a country as a great person” who should not only be loved and admired but also revered.

A recent example of the phrase used in the media was on June 30, 2024, when Reuters and NBC News reported:

“North Korean officials wore pins with a portrait of Kim Jong Un in public for the first time in pictures released by state media on Sunday, the latest step in the development of a cult of personality about the leader.”

Historically, authoritarian figures such as the first Roman emperor, Augustus, Napoleon of France, Benito Mussolini of Italy, Adolf Hitler of Germany, and Joseph Stalin from the Soviet Union have also been described by the expression.

The term “cult of personality” was coined in Europe in the early 1800s. Later, Georgi Malenkhov famously used it in 1953 to describe his predecessor, Joseph Stalin’s influence in the Soviet Union.

Three years later, Nikita Khrushchev, the first secretary of the communist party of the Soviet Union, also used it during his speech to the 20th Congress of the Communist Party. He used the phrase to denounce the “cult of personality” surrounding Stalin despite his death a few years back.

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Elon Musk created a super PAC to support Donald Trump

Elon Musk founded a super Political Action Committee (PAC) called American PAC, which was meant to provide financial support to Donald Trump’s campaign for the 2024 presidential election. A super PAC helps raise “unlimited amounts of money for a campaign’s independent expenditures – such as for ads, or day-to-day operations – but doesn’t donate directly to the campaign,” as per Fortune.

Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the X owner would contribute $45 million per month to the American PAC. However, Musk denied the claim on Monday while talking to Jordan Peterson on X.

Peterson asked him whether he was “shocked” after donating multi-million dollars to Trump’s campaign. In response, the billionaire cleared the air once and for all, saying he did not adhere to a “cult of personality.”

At the same time, the SpaceX CEO mentioned that the former U.S. President displayed “great courage” despite an attempt on his life on July 13, adding that it helped “strengthen” and “intimidate” the enemies of the USA.

Elon Musk also got candid about the “core values” such as “meritocracy,” which made the country “great,” adding that they were reflected more by the Republicans than the Democrats.

The 53-year-old further shared that he shifted his political affiliations from left to right as he realized that the former focused on “censorship” rather than “freedom.”

Notably, last week, too, Musk took to X and wrote "Fake GNUS" in response to the WSJ claim.