Elon Musk’s $1m-a-day lottery ‘is attempt to buy votes in US election’

Elon Musk has unveiled his latest eye-catching bid to influence the 2024 election, pledging to give away $1 million each day until polling day to voters who sign up to an online petition.

The world’s richest man, who has endorsed Donald Trump in the race for the White House, presented the first lottery winner with a million-dollar cheque at a campaign event on Saturday.

The Tesla chief executive and SpaceX founder is seeking to use his vast wealth to tip the tightly contested presidential election in Trump’s favour. But his latest giveaway leads American politics into uncharted territory, with some Democrats and legal experts claiming that the scheme is illegal and amounts to buying votes.

Musk, 53, delighted the crowd at a rally in Harrisburg,