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Listen to the article4 min, read by a synthetic voice

In brief

  • Musk has given over $276 million since July, including $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, according to figures his representatives gave The New York Times.

  • Republicans hold majorities in both chambers, but LBC reports Democrats are expected to gain the House on 3 November and the Senate is seen as a toss-up.

  • Musk has put roughly $366 million into federal committees this 2025-2026 cycle, compared with about $290 million in 2023-2024, according to NYT figures cited by Corriere della Sera.

  • Musk and Trump have reconciled after a 2025 falling out, and House Democrats have called for investigations into Musk's government contracts as SpaceX chief executive.

Photo: The White House, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons, cropped)

The donations

Elon Musk has given more than $276 million to Republican-aligned political groups since July, according to figures his representatives provided to The New York Times ahead of a federal filing deadline on Thursday, 15 October. The Times reports that the sum makes him the largest known donor in the 3 November midterm elections. Andrew Romeo, a spokesman for one of Musk's political action committees, confirmed the figures. The money flows into a network of committees that back Republican candidates for the Senate and the House of Representatives, including America PAC, which Musk founded in 2024.

Where the money went

The largest single contribution, $158 million, went to the Senate Leadership Fund, the main super PAC supporting Republican Senate candidates. Corriere della Sera reports that Musk's staff said the money arrived over the summer, and De Morgen notes that the amount is higher than what the Democratic counterpart of that group raised from all its donors combined. Another $76 million went to America PAC, which spent that money on a door-to-door campaign focused on seven decisive Senate races and nearly thirty House districts, according to Corriere della Sera. Smaller sums include $20 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, $10 million to a committee backing Ken Paxton, the Republican Senate candidate in Texas, and $10 million to the Republican Governors Association.

Musk donations since July by recipient$ million
Senate Leadership Fund158
America PAC76
Congressional Leadership Fund20
Committee backing Ken Paxton10
Republican Governors Association10
Senate Leadership Fund
158 $ million
America PAC
76 $ million
Congressional Leadership Fund
20 $ million
Committee backing Ken Paxton
10 $ million
Republican Governors Association
10 $ million

Data from the article text

Cycle totals and the Republican war chest

Across the 2025-2026 election cycle, Musk has put roughly $366 million into federal committees, including about $90 million before July, according to New York Times figures cited by Corriere della Sera. That is well above the roughly $290 million he gave in the 2023-2024 cycle, when he helped fund Donald Trump's return to the White House. Sources cited by the newspaper suggest that further contributions not made public in both cycles would raise his effective commitment. Republicans have raised more than $1.1 billion since the end of August, compared with $600 million for Democrats, according to LBC. NRC reports that most of the Republican money comes from MAGA Inc., a super PAC closely tied to Trump, rather than from Musk.

Musk political giving by election cycle$ million
2023-2024 cycle290
2025-2026 cycle366
2023-2024 cycle
290 $ million
2025-2026 cycle
366 $ million

Data from the article text

Musk and Trump

Musk's relationship with Trump collapsed in 2025. LBC reports that Musk resigned in June 2025 from the Department of Government Efficiency over the president's tax and spending bill, which he called insane while threatening to form a new political party. Since then the two have reconciled. De Morgen reports that they appeared together at three events in the two weeks before its reporting, and LBC says Musk received the National Medal of Science and was chosen to co-lead a review of the Pentagon's modernisation. Democrats in the House have called for investigations into his government contracts as chief executive of SpaceX. In May, Musk had said he planned to scale back political spending, according to SAPO.

Texas and the November vote

In Texas, Republicans had spent $326 million on the Senate race until early October to help Ken Paxton against the Democratic candidate James Talarico, according to NRC. Musk, now a Texas resident according to NRC, has given $10 million to a committee supporting Paxton. LBC reports that Democrats are expected to gain the House, while the Senate is seen as a toss-up. Voters go to the polls on 3 November.

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Sources and context

  • Mediafax.roon 13 Oct at 19:01Elon Musk becomes the largest political donor of the US midterm elections. He spent over 350 million dollarsElon Musk devine cel mai mare donator politic al alegerilor intermediare din SUA. A cheltuit peste 350 de milioane de dolari · original in Romanian
  • France 24on 13 Oct at 15:31Press review - “Musk donated 276 million dollars to the Republicans for the midterms”: “The New York Times”Revista de prensa - "Musk donó a los republicanos 276 millones de dólares para las midterms": 'The New York Times' · original in Spanish
  • Corriere della Seraon 13 Oct at 15:08276 million from Musk to support the Republicans: the largest quarterly donation ever seen and door-to-door to convince conservatives to voteDa Musk 276 milioni per sostenere i repubblicani: la maggior donazione trimestrale mai vista e il porta a porta per convincere i conservatori a votare · original in Italian
  • Süddeutsche Zeitungon 13 Oct at 14:40Musk donates millions to RepublicansMusk spendet Millionen an Republikaner · original in German
Elon Musk
Tesla and SpaceX chief executive who has donated over $276 million to Republican groups since July
Donald Trump
US president whose re-election Musk helped fund in 2024 and with whom Musk has reconciled
Ken Paxton
Republican Senate candidate in Texas supported by a $10 million committee donation from Musk
James Talarico
Democratic Senate candidate in Texas running against Ken Paxton

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First version on 12 Oct at 16:40, last change on 13 Oct at 20:35.

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Text generated by AI from the reports of the publishers listed and checked automatically, with no human editor. How Pollar is made

In this text

The donationsThe donationsWhere the money wentWhere the money wentCycle totals and the Republican war chestCycle totals and the Republican war chestMusk and TrumpMusk and TrumpTexas and the November voteTexas and the November vote

Where

Washington

Based on reports by

Mediafax.ro, France 24, Corriere della Sera, Süddeutsche Zeitung, De Morgen, LBC, SAPO, NRC

List of sources

Elections · Washington

Musk gives Republicans over $276 million in midterm donations since July

Elon Musk has given more than $276 million to Republican groups since July, including $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund. The donations come ahead of the 3 November midterms, when Democrats are expected to gain the House and the Senate is seen as a toss-up.

Washington
Washington · United States

Ask about this text

Ask your own questionHow much money did Elon Musk donate to the Senate Leadership Fund?When do voters go to the polls for the midterm elections?

AI text based on reports by Mediafax.ro, France 24, Corriere della Sera and other publishers. Changed on 13 Oct at 20:35. How it is made