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Elon Musk was the sole funder of a political action committee (PAC) formed late in the US election campaign that compared Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG) to Donald Trump.
The PAC spent millions on ads claiming that Donald Trump's position on abortion was the same as that of the former Supreme Court justice.
Those ads caused upset within her family and they condemned the actions of the PAC.
On October 24, the billionaire injected $US20.5 million ($32 million) into the group, according to a campaign finance filing that was submitted to the Federal Election Commission this week.
Elon Musk Revocable Trust filed the payment to RBG PAC after the election result. (US Federal Government)
That money was in addition to the more than $US250 million he spent overall to boost president-elect Donald Trump, the latest campaign finance reports show.
The group, which was named RBG PAC, spent nearly all of the donated money on advertising — ads that claimed RGB was of the same opinion as Donald Trump on the issue of abortion.
The website set up for the PAC included images of Trump and RBG and words saying "great minds think alike".
Ms Ginsburg's granddaughter, Clara Spera, said in a statement in October that the family condemned the use of her grandmother's name.
"To suggest that she would approve of his position on abortion, is nothing short of appalling," she said.
The timing of the RGB PAC donation meant that Mr Musk's support did not have to be disclosed until after the election.
RBG's opinion on abortion
Abortion was legalised in the US in 1973 with the landmark Roe V Wade decision.
The former Supreme Court justice always supported access to abortion and she viewed abortion as an enactment of equality, rather than merely as a reproductive right.
"It is essential to woman's equality with man that she be the decision-maker, that her choice be controlling," she said in 1995.
She added that the decision whether or not to bear a child was "central to a woman's life, to her wellbeing and dignity".
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the second woman appointed to the Supreme Court. (ABC News: Jonathan Ernst)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on September 18, 2020.
Her "most fervent wish" before she died, revealed by her granddaughter, was that she "not be replaced until a new president is installed".
Just eight days after her death, then-president Donald Trump announced Amy Coney Barrett to fill Ginsburg's newly vacant seat.
On October 2, 2024, Trump tweeted his opinions on abortion ahead of the US elections.
"Everyone knows I would not support a federal abortion ban under any circumstances, and would, in fact, veto it," he wrote.
Big spending cuts promised
Elon Musk met with US politicians on Thursday to discuss his plans for overseeing radical government spending cuts under the incoming administration.
Trump named the billionaire as head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, along with another wealthy ally, Vivek Ramaswamy.
Although the office, known as DOGE for short, has a purely advisory role, Mr Musk has vowed to reduce federal spending by $US2 trillion.
This would represent cutting total US spending by a third, almost certainly meaning devastation of some government programs.
"I think we just need to make sure we spend the public's money well," he said.
Senator John Thune, who will lead the Republican majority next year, told reporters after the meeting with Mr Musk that "we want to help him in any way that we can".
"He's got, obviously, a big mission. But we all think the effort they're undertaking is long overdue."