As a rule, third party candidates don’t win in the United States. Then again, a third-party bid has never had the backing of the world’s richest man.

Musk’s plan can only work if he learns from the most successful political disruptors, including Trump on the right and Bernie Sanders on the left, and identifies places where both political parties are neglecting the real preferences of voters.

Elon Musk has said that he's formed a new political party, but it's unclear what steps — if any — he's taken to do so, or how the effort might affect upcoming elections. Musk has not yet released any additional information.