Reflections | As Elon Musk funded Donald Trump, so a political donor aided rise of China’s first emperor
Political contributions are not new – 2,300 years ago a rich merchant helped the father of China’s first emperor gain power, and his son
The involvement of business interests in the politics of the United States, and the massive amount of money that it entails, put American elections in a class of their own.
Political contributions to the recently ended US presidential and congressional elections totalled an eye-watering US$15.9 billion, much of which represented the interests of corporations and ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
In an ideal world, political donations come with no strings attached. You have a photo opportunity with the candidate whose campaign fund you contributed to, or get invited to a fundraising dinner with the candidate in attendance.
But it is another story when millions are involved.
