Musk faces potential legal issues over $1M giveaway selection

Elon Musk could face legal scrutiny after his lawyer disclosed that recipients of his $1 million “giveaway” were chosen based on personal stories, not randomly.

Chris Gober, representing Musk and America PAC, told a Pennsylvania judge on Nov. 4 that winners were “not chosen by chance.”

According to Gober, each recipient was pre-selected based on their background, contradicting descriptions of the program as a random lottery.

Musk’s program, announced in early October, initially indicated that one registered voter from select U.S. states would win $1 million each day, which led many to interpret it as a lottery.

"The $1 million recipients are not chosen by chance. We know exactly who will be announced as the $1 million recipient today and tomorrow," clarified Gober

This clarification has led Pennsylvania District Attorney Larry Krasner to consider possible criminal charges, as he argues it could be seen as an unregistered lottery.

The situation gained attention when courtroom reporter Marshall Cohen highlighted that Musk’s statements may have caused some to see the giveaways as a lottery or sweepstakes.

Running an unlicensed lottery under U.S. laws could result in fines, forfeiture, and up to a year in prison.

However, a request to move the case to federal court was dismissed, meaning state regulations currently apply.

America PAC’s legal team contends that the recipients were not lottery winners but spokespersons hired based on their stories, with the $1 million awards dependent on meeting certain contractual terms.