Elon Musk has announced the formation of a new political party, weeks after a spectacular fallout with US President Donald Trump.
The billionaire declared on his social media platform X that he has founded the America Party, describing it as an alternative to the Republican and Democratic two-party systems.
However, it is unclear whether the party has legally registered with US electoral authorities. Musk, who was born outside of the United States and is thus ineligible to run for president, has not announced who will head it.
He initially mentioned the idea of starting a party during his public battle with Trump, which resulted in him leaving his position in the administration and engaging in a brutal public spat with his former ally.
During the dispute, Musk ran a poll on X asking people if there should be a new political party in the US.
Musk referenced that survey in his Saturday post, writing, “By a factor of two to one, you want a new political party, and you will have it!
“When it comes to bankrupting our country through waste and corruption, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy.
“Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”
As of Saturday, the Federal Electoral Commission had not released documentation proving that the party had been properly registered.
While there have been high-profile actors outside the traditional two-party system in US politics, they have struggled to achieve widespread popularity to constitute a serious challenge.
Last year’s presidential election saw candidates from the Libertarian Party, the Green Party, and the People’s Party all fail to prevent Trump or his Democratic competitor, Kamala Harris, from winning.
Musk was a staunch Trump fan until recently, dancing alongside him at election rallies last year and bringing his four-year-old son to meet him in the Oval Office.
Musk was also Trump’s primary financial booster, spending $250 million (£187 million) to help him reclaim power.
Following the election, he was chosen to manage the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), which was entrusted with identifying major savings to the government budget.
His feud with Trump began in May, when he departed the administration and publicly criticized Trump’s tax and spending policies.
The package, dubbed Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” was narrowly approved by Congress and signed into law by the president this week.
The mammoth legislation includes massive spending commitments and tax cuts, and it is expected to add more than $3 trillion to the US budget over the next decade.
Crucially for Musk, who controls the electric-vehicle behemoth Tesla, Trump’s program does not prioritize green transition or subsidies for products like Teslas.
“Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far,” Trump said on his social media site, Truth Social, this week. “Without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa.”
Trump vowed to have Doge look into subsidies for Musk’s firms, alluding to the billionaire’s other ventures.
Musk also controls SpaceX, which launches rockets for the US government, and Starlink, which provides satellite communications to the US and European defense forces.