17 better ways Elon Musk could have wasted $446 million

Musk's money lost in Texas

Elon Musk's political group, America PAC, spent $47 million trying to defeat James Talarico, a Texas Democrat. Talarico beat Musk's preferred Senate candidate, Ken Paxton, with 55 percent of the vote. Talarico's ads made Musk's influence a big part of the campaign, using the slogan "Texas is not for sale."

Key numbers

• America PAC spent $47 million against Talarico.
• Talarico won with 55 percent of the vote.
• The article says Musk's total political spending was nearly $500 million.
• The writer lists 17 things Musk could have bought with $446 million instead.

Why the writer blames X

The writer says Musk spends a lot of time on X, the social media site formerly called Twitter. She argues that people who use X a lot, especially people in the AI world, can lose touch with normal people. She says most people are angry at the tech industry. Opposition to new data centers is one sign of this anger.

Why it matters

The story shows how a powerful person can misjudge public opinion when he mostly hears from people who agree with him. It also shows that many voters are upset with big tech companies and AI firms. The writer says this anger is strong across both political parties.

What to watch

• Whether AI companies change how they talk to voters.
• Whether data center fights grow in more places.
• Whether Musk changes how he spends money on politics.