The staggering $446m Elon Musk has spent on the US midterms – visualized
The tech mogul’s midterm donations backing Republicans have made him the largest single-cycle political donor in modern US history Elon Musk has poured so much money into US politics this midterms election cycle that his donations could fund half a dozen SpaceX rocket launches or buy thousands of Tesla Cybertrucks. At the Tesla Diner in Los Angeles, Musk could order more than 31.9m cheeseburgers with the money he…
Key points
- Elon Musk has donated at least $445.77m to Republican-aligned political action committees and groups this midterm cycle.
- The spending makes him the largest single-cycle political donor in modern US history.
- His America Pac has targeted 43 House and Senate races, with over $33m spent on the Texas Senate race.
Elon Musk has contributed at least $445.77m to Republican-aligned political action committees and groups since last year, according to US Federal Election Commission data as of 29 October. The donations make him the largest single-cycle political donor in modern US history and the Republicans' most prominent financial backer.
Musk's spending is aimed at helping Donald Trump's administration retain control of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections, though current polls predict Democrats will achieve a majority. The scale of his contributions dwarfs efforts by megadonors such as George Soros or Michael Bloomberg.
Where the money went
Musk's largest contribution, $216m, went to his own America Pac, which has targeted 43 House and Senate races across the US. The Pac made 839 independent expenditures in House races and 623 in Senate races in 17 states, with more support going to battlegrounds such as Michigan and Arizona.
In Texas, America Pac has poured more than $33m into efforts to elect Republican Ken Paxton in his Senate contest against Democrat James Talarico. Musk also gave $168m to the Senate Leadership Fund, which supports the Paxton campaign. The Pac has spent $28m on anti-Talarico content, including between $300,000 and $350,000 in October on a single Google ad.
James Talarico supports parents being charged with child abuse if they do not support transitioning their children
— America Pac ad
Musk's political shift
Only last year, Musk said he would step away from large-scale political donations after putting nearly $300m toward Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. FEC data since then shows his spending has ramped up, increasing by about $200m in the final two months of campaigning.
Musk has also reposted America Pac content to his more than 200m followers on X, the platform he owns. One October post amplified an attack ad and claimed: "Talarico wants to trans your kids and destroy the border."
