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Elon Musk has quietly funnelled more than $276 million into Republican groups and his own super PAC since early July, building a massive voter-turnout operation to help the party navigate a challenging political environment in the US midterm elections.
The contributions make Musk, the world’s richest person, the largest known donor of the current midterm election cycle. His representatives disclosed the previously unreported political donations to The New York Times ahead of Thursday’s deadline for federal campaign finance filings.
According to Musk’s team, he donated a total of $158 million this summer to the Senate Leadership Fund, a leading super PAC supporting Republican Senate candidates as the party seeks to retain its majority. The contribution ranks among the largest political donations in US history and exceeded the total amount raised by the group’s Democratic counterpart from all donors during the same quarter.
Musk also channelled more than $76 million this summer into America PAC, the super PAC he founded in 2024, to build a major Republican voter-turnout operation.
The organisation spent a similar amount on an extensive canvassing campaign aimed at mobilising Republican voters who are difficult to reach. Its efforts cover seven states with competitive Senate races and nearly three dozen House districts.
During the 2024 election, Musk spent about $290 million helping President Donald Trump and Republicans return to power. In the 2025-26 election cycle, he has already contributed approximately $366 million to federal committees, substantially exceeding his reported donations in the previous election, according to people familiar with the matter. He has also made additional undisclosed contributions in both election cycles.
The latest spending has given Republicans a financial advantage as the midterm campaign enters its final weeks. Well-funded outside groups, including Trump’s powerful super PAC, are flooding the airwaves with political advertisements.
No Democratic billionaire has come close to matching Musk’s spending, leaving campaign financing a major concern for Democrats despite an otherwise favourable political environment.
The donations also shed light on Musk’s continuing ambitions in American politics. In May 2025, he said he intended to spend significantly less on political activities in the future.