Billionaire LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman rejected Elon Musk’s allegations that he had a role in protests outside of Tesla facilities on Monday, writing on X that “it’s clear Americans are angry” at Musk.
LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman speaks onstage during a WIRED event on December 05, 2023 in San ... [+]
Hoffman said “I never funded anyone for Tesla protests,” referring to recent demonstrations outside of Tesla facilities protesting Musk’s efforts to make cuts to the federal government via the Department of Government Efficiency.
Hoffman was responding to Musk’s claims over the weekend that an “investigation” found the Democratic fundraising group ActBlue was responsible for the protests, with Musk pointing out that Hoffman and other Democratic donors, including George Soros, give to ActBlue.
Musk did not provide details about the alleged “investigation.”
Hoffman pointed out that ActBlue is a payment processing platform for Democratic candidates and causes, but doesn’t directly fund specific groups, and said he’s only used ActBlue to donate to campaigns, but hasn’t invested in ActBlue or helped fund its operations.
Hoffman wrote that “it’s clear Americans are angry” at Musk, writing “it’s easier to explain away their anger, than to accept that actions have consequences.”
Republicans in Congress and Republican attorneys general in multiple states have launched probes into ActBlue, after Republicans have raised suspicions of violations of campaign finance law, and possible foreign money laundering or identity theft by bad actors using the platform, though the platform has denied the allegations and none have resulted in criminal charges.
Tesla storefronts, cars and charging stations have been targeted by a wave of destructive incidents and protests as Musk has spearheaded sweeping federal government cuts through the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. A Colorado woman was recently arrested for a string of vandalism incidents at Tesla car lot, including igniting a molotov cocktail near a Tesla Cybertruck, and a man is accused of shooting at a Tesla storefront in Salem, Oregon, after using molotov cocktails to cause an estimated $500,000 in damage weeks earlier, according to the Washington Post, which reported they were among more than a dozen incidents of violence or vandalism directed at Tesla facilities since Trump was sworn in in January. Protesters demonstrated at more than 50 Tesla stores across the U.S. and in Barcelona, London and Lisbon last week, according to CNN.
We estimate Musk is worth $320.3 billion and Hoffman is worth $2.4 billion.