Elon Musk has put about $366 million into the 2026 midterm elections, $276 million of it since July, in a push to keep Congress under Republican control. The figures come from campaign finance records reported by The New York Times and confirmed by a spokesman for America PAC, the super PAC Musk founded.
The total makes the world's richest person the largest known donor of this election cycle, The Straits Times reported, citing the records. In the 2024 cycle his political spending reached about $290 million.
Most of the recent money went to Republican groups. The Senate Leadership Fund, tied to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, received $158 million of the $276 million given since July. The Congressional Leadership Fund, which is linked to Speaker Mike Johnson and backs House Republicans, got $20 million, and America PAC itself received $76 million.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's Senate run received $10 million through the Lone Star Liberty PAC. The Republican Governors Association got $10 million and the Republican Attorneys General Association $2 million. Paxton is in a close race against Democrat James Talarico, according to recent polling cited by The Straits Times.
America PAC is backing Republican contenders across seven swing states and close to 36 House districts. Musk has also given through groups that keep their donors secret, The New York Times reported and the America PAC spokesman confirmed.
Forbes reported that Musk has paired the spending with public attacks on Talarico. Many super PACs must disclose their third-quarter spending on Thursday, which will make the new donations public.
Democrats' chances of retaking the House and Senate have improved during the campaign, even as Musk's donations grew. House Democrats want investigations into Musk's federal contracts at SpaceX and his tenure at the Department of Government Efficiency under President Donald Trump.