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Elon Musk donates $1million to a YouTuber's campaign to plant 20 million trees


Elon Musk has donated $1 million (around £776,000) towards a YouTuber’s campaign to plant 20 million trees — and then mischievously changed his Twitter name to ‘Treelon’.

The #TeamTrees campaign began as a challenge to Jimmy Donaldson, 21 — known by his YouTube handle ‘MrBeast’ — to commemorate his 20 millionth subscriber.

The effort, which is being undertaken with the Arbor Day Foundation, has already raised $7,937,626 (around £6,161,000) for the cause.

Alongside Mr Musk, other prominent donors include Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who paid for 150,000 trees, and Norwegian DJ Alan Walker who gave $100,001. 

Questions have been raised, however, as to where Mr Musk sourced the money for the donation, having recently testified to being financially illiquid.

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Elon Musk has donated $1 million (around £776,000) towards a YouTuber's campaign to plant 20 million trees — and then mischievously changed his twitter name, pictured, to 'Treelon'

Elon Musk has donated $1 million (around £776,000) towards a YouTuber’s campaign to plant 20 million trees — and then mischievously changed his twitter name, pictured, to ‘Treelon’

The #TeamTrees campaign began as a challenge to Jimmy Donaldson, 21 — known by his YouTube handle 'MrBeast' — to commemorate his 20 millionth subscriber. Alongside Mr Musk, pictured, prominent donors include Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Norwegian DJ Alan Walker

The #TeamTrees campaign began as a challenge to Jimmy Donaldson, 21 — known by his YouTube handle ‘MrBeast’ — to commemorate his 20 millionth subscriber. Alongside Mr Musk, pictured, prominent donors include Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Norwegian DJ Alan Walker

WHAT IS #TEAMTREES?

The #TeamTrees campaign began as a challenge to Jimmy Donaldson, 21, to commemorate his 20 millionth YouTube subscriber. 

Mr Donaldson is also known by his YouTube handle ‘MrBeast’.

The effort is being undertaken with the Arbor Day Foundation.

For every US dollar donated, a tree will be planet in a forest of high need around the globe. 

They have already raised $7,937,626 (around £6,161,000) for the cause. 

Prominent donors include Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Norwegian DJ Alan Walker.

According to the Team Trees website, Mr Musk made the donation for 1 million trees (at $1 per tree) late on Tuesday evening.

This makes the entrepreneur the campaign’s top donor to date. 

This not the first time that Mr Musk has offered up sizeable philanthropic donation following a pledge on Twitter.

In July 2018, for example, the SpaceX and Tesla CEO promised to help address the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.

This began when the city’s new water supply was found to be contaminated with elevated levels of lead pollution.

‘Please consider this a commitment that I will fund fixing the water in any house in Flint that has water contamination above FDA levels. No kidding,’ Mr Musk tweeted.

The billionaire — and the Musk Foundation — subsequently donated $480,350 (£373,000) towards water filtration systems for schools in the affected area.

After prompting from another Twitter user yesterday, Mr Musk asked where the trees were being location and what species the campaign was planting.

Mr Donaldson explained that the trees were being planted on every continent except Antarctica, with the Arbor Day Foundation planting species native to each region. 

‘Ok, sounds legit, will donate 1M trees,’ Mr Musk wrote in response.

After prompting from another Twitter user yesterday, Mr Musk asked where the trees were being location and what species the campaign was planting

After prompting from another Twitter user yesterday, Mr Musk asked where the trees were being location and what species the campaign was planting

The #TeamTrees campaign — which is being undertaken with the Arbor Day Foundation — has already raised $7,937,626 (around £6,161,000) for the cause. Pictured, Jimmy 'MrBeast' Donaldson (second left) and friends planting trees

The #TeamTrees campaign — which is being undertaken with the Arbor Day Foundation — has already raised $7,937,626 (around £6,161,000) for the cause. Pictured, Jimmy ‘MrBeast’ Donaldson (second left) and friends planting trees

However — as Nick Statt of The Verge noted — the donation is curious, as Mr Musk recently testified to being financially illiquid.

The claims comes as part of a case brought by British diver Vernon Unsworth, who is in the process of suing Mr Musk for defamation.

According to the LA Times, the Tesla CEO ‘told lawyers representing the British cave diver suing him that he’s financially illiquid, according to a legal filing.’

While Mr Musk is a noted billionaire, most of his wealth is reportedly contained in his stock in both his Tesla and SpaceX firms. 

Donations to the tree-planting campaign can be made on the #TeamTrees website.

According to the Team Trees website, Mr Musk made the donation for 1 million trees (at $1 per tree) late on Tuesday evening — making him the top donor to date

According to the Team Trees website, Mr Musk made the donation for 1 million trees (at $1 per tree) late on Tuesday evening — making him the top donor to date

Alongside Mr Musk, other prominent donors include Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey — who paid for 150,000 trees — and Norwegian DJ Alan Walker who gave $100,001

Alongside Mr Musk, other prominent donors include Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey — who paid for 150,000 trees — and Norwegian DJ Alan Walker who gave $100,001



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