“They’re trying to be a global influencer, and I think they’ve decided they need to do more than just use X,” said James Lewis, director of the strategic technologies program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Of course, it’s not unusual for corporate leaders to occasionally meet with government officials, and Musk isn’t the only big business name to publicly weigh in on the upcoming US presidential election.

But the extent of Musk’s public political involvement is unusual for the chief executive of a public company like Tesla — as well as the owner of several powerful private firms, executive management experts told CNN.

“What’s different is there’s a political aspect to it, and most CEOs shy away from politics,” Lewis said. “They go to the head of another state, basically, to improve the terms of trade for their product, maybe to lobby on a certain point, but they usually don’t do politics,” he said, adding that with Musk, “There’s a political tone in everything he does.”

At least some of Musk’s political connections appear to have benefited his companies. In May 2022, Musk MEET with Brazil’s then-president Jair Bolsonaro to mark the launch of Starlink in the country, a major new market for the satellite business. In February 2023, it held call with then-Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador about a new Tesla manufacturing plant in the state of Nuevo Leon, for which the company later received $153 million in state incentives. In May 2023, he held meetings with Chinese government officials shortly after Tesla announced plans to the new battery installation in Shanghai; Musk did a surprise return to China in April for a visit with Premier Li Qiang, weeks before the company broke ground on the facility.

Even more world leaders incl French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modithey met with Musk to ask Tesla to invest in their countries.

CNN’s analysis only includes meetings for which at least some information is publicly available. The billionaire may have calls or meetings with leaders that they don’t post about.

“You could say he doesn’t have to pay lobbyists because he’s his own lobbyist, globally,” said William Klepper, a professor of management at Columbia Business School who focuses on executive leadership. But, he added, “when you have other people’s money at stake, you have to moderate your activities … when you go to these extremes, you can hurt your business.”

Musk did not hesitate to deal with extremes. He is ADVISED of the downfall of America if the Democrats are elected, falsely pushed conspiracy theories on topics such as postal voting and warned in public events about a “virus of the awakened mind” threatening societal progress.

Separately, Musk also took heat for boosting a antisemitic conspiracy theoryracist false claims about immigration and the dangerous ones “Pizza Gate” conspiracy as well as posting a Holocaust joke on X.

Recently, Musk’s political activism has begun to have a tangible impact on his companies: brands have pulled their ads from X, reserving its value. And SpaceX earlier this month sued a California regulator after allegedly rejecting an attempt to allow more rocket launches because of the billionaire’s controversial comments, claiming it violated Musk’s freedom of speech. (The agency has not commented on the suit.)

CNN’s analysis also suggests that Musk has worked, in particular, to build influence among a set of right-wing world leaders, including Modi, Bolsonaro, Milei and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

“He’s probably more comfortable with them … these are people who want to meet with him, and not everyone wants to meet with Elon Musk,” Lewis said. “They are birds of a feather. He likes to visit people who will be excited to have Elon Musk.”

During a conference for the far-right Brotherhood of Italy party in Italy last year, Musk criticized “illegal immigration” and the “virus of the awakened mind” that he said had gripped the US. Musk called it “evil” and warned he would move to Italy.

Modi of India which was recently RE-ELECTED for a third consecutive term, has used his plans to increase production of electric vehicles — including conversations with Musk about a potential Tesla factory — as a the talking point of the campaignthough a meeting in India between the two men earlier this year, where Musk was expected to announce that the facility had been rescheduled.

Musk also met with Milei several times during his first year in charge in Argentina, during which the president faced protests over a huge increase in the poverty rate as a result of austerity measures. “I recommend investing in Argentina,” Musk said in a message X post following a meeting in May between the pair. In another post Last month, Musk said: “Miles brings prosperity to Argentina.” (Argentina hosts huge deposits of lithiuman essential component of batteries like those used in Tesla cars.)

Now, while campaigning for Trump, Musk may be preparing for his most important political role yet: a position in a possible future Trump White House. Musk and Trump have publicly discussed having the billionaire lead a new government efficiency commission — which Musk jokingly named the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, after Musk’s favorite meme and cryptocurrency — if the former president is re-elected.

Methodology: CNN’s analysis is based on information compiled from news reports, X posts and press releases. There may have been other meetings or other topics discussed beyond what is publicly available. The job titles are from the time of the meeting.

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