Elon Musk becomes biggest donor of US midterms cycle with $366m spent
Musk’s midterm donations, mostly for rightwing candidates and causes, surpass his contributions to Trump in 2024 Send us your questions on how the US economy is shaping the midterm elections Elon Musk has become the biggest political donor of the 2026 US midterm elections cycle, funneling about $366m into political groups and campaigns as he backs conservative candidates and rightwing causes. The world’s richest…
Key points
- Elon Musk has spent about $366m on the 2026 US midterm elections.
- He gave $158m to the Senate Leadership Fund, his largest single donation.
- His spending exceeds the nearly $300m he gave to Trump in 2024.
Elon Musk has become the biggest political donor of the 2026 US midterm elections cycle, spending about $366m on political groups and campaigns, mostly for rightwing candidates and causes. The New York Times first reported the figures, which are due in a federal filing on Thursday. Musk, the world's richest person, has put more than $276m into politics since July alone, one of the fastest political spending surges in US history.
His midterm donations surpass the nearly $300m he gave to Donald Trump's 2024 re-election campaign. The spending targets key races that will decide which party controls the US Senate.
Where the money went
Musk's largest single contribution was $158m to the Senate Leadership Fund, a Super Pac working to keep Republicans in control of the Senate. He also gave $76m to his own America Pac, $20m to the Congressional Leadership Fund Republican Super Pac, $10m to the Republican Governors Association, and $10m to a Pac supporting Ken Paxton, the Texas Republican Senate candidate facing Democrat James Talarico.
In January, Musk gave $10m to Nate Morris, a Kentucky Republican Senate candidate who left the race in May after accepting an offer to become US ambassador to Colombia. Some of his money funds advertising and messaging that focuses on anti-transgender rhetoric and accuses Democratic candidates of being radical socialists.
madness
— Elon Musk
A reversal and a small share
The spending spree reverses a period in the middle of last year when Musk said he would step back from large-scale political donations. The failures of his so-called department of government efficiency, public backlash to his political influence and a dramatic falling out with Trump appeared to have dampened his interest in Washington politics.
Musk has long used X, the social media platform he owns, to target political opponents, push election misinformation and attack trans rights. Over the weekend, he reposted an America Pac video showing Talarico's previous statements on gender, calling it "madness". The $366m represents less than 0.04% of his nearly $1tn wealth.
