It seems that Tesla CEO Elon Musk donated roughly US$5.7 billion (about five million shares of the company) to an unidentified charity in November.
The news surfaced on Tuesday after a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing became public.
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According to the SEC filing, the shares were donated during a ten-day period from November 19 to 29. In October, the richest man in the world tweeted that he would sell $6 billion in Tesla stock and donate to the United Nations World Food Program if the organization could describe how world hunger could be solved.
At the time, Musk responded to a CNN article that claimed 2% of Musk’s worth could solve hunger around the world.
If WFP can describe on this Twitter thread exactly how $6B will solve world hunger, I will sell Tesla stock right now and do it.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 31, 2021
The SEC filing did not disclose to which organization the funds were donated.
In November, the World Food Programme responded that the organization hadn’t received anything from Musk.
“There are millions of people around the world on the brink of starvation,” says Executive Director David Beasley, according to CNN. “Whether WFP receives any of this money is yet to be seen, but I am excited to hear that Elon is engaged. This is an amazing and great first step.”
In October, Beasley said it’s time for the world’s elite to “step up” and end global food insecurity, explicitly calling out Musk and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Beasley noted that $6 billion would help “42 million people that are literally going to die if we don’t read them. It’s not complicated.”
In November, Beasley replied to Musk’s initial tweet, clarifying that US$6 billion would not end world hunger but would prevent a variety of factors, including “geopolitical instability, mass migration, and save 42 million people [across 43 countires] on the brink of starvation.”
This hunger crisis is urgent, unprecedented, AND avoidable. @elonmusk, you asked for a clear plan & open books. Here it is! We’re ready to talk with you – and anyone else – who is serious about saving lives. The ask is $6.6B to avert famine in 2022: https://t.co/eJLmfcMVqE
— David Beasley (@WFPChief) November 15, 2021
Then, on November 15, Beasley tweeted the UN’s $6.6 billion hunger plan to Elon Musk, which outlined how the UN could distribute $6.6 billion worth of meals and vouchers to feed over 40 million people across 43 countries that are “on the brink of famine.”
In December, Musk tweeted that “for those wondering,” he will pay “over $11 billion in taxes” in 2021. Evidently, a large donation could help offset the hefty tax tag.
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