Elon Musk has donated more than USD 276 million to Republican political groups since July. This donation brings his known federal political contributions for the 2025-26 election cycle to approximately USD 366 million. The latest disclosures make the Tesla and SpaceX chief the largest known donor in the 2026 US midterm elections, as Republicans work to retain control of Congress.
The biggest contribution was USD 158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC supporting Republican Senate candidates. Musk also gave more than USD 76 million to America PAC, the political organization he established during the 2024 election cycle. The group has developed voter mobilization operations for competitive Senate and House races.
Musk’s latest spending exceeds the approximately USD 290 million he contributed during the 2024 presidential election. His USD 158 million donation to the Senate Leadership Fund ranks among the largest known individual political contributions in US history.
According to figures provided by Musk’s representatives to The New York Times and confirmed to CNBC by America PAC spokesperson Lindsey Curnutte, the contributions were disclosed ahead of the Federal Election Commission’s third-quarter reporting deadline.
Musk also contributed USD 20 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, which supports House Republicans. Other donations included USD 10 million to the Republican Governors Association, USD 2 million to the Republican Attorneys General Association and USD 10 million to Lone Star Liberty PAC, which supports Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton is running against Democrat James Talarico in Texas. FiftyPlusOne’s polling average on October 12 showed Talarico at 48.4% and Paxton at 45.0%.
The latest donations mark a shift from Musk’s public position in May 2025, when he said, “In terms of political spending, I’m going to do a lot less in the future,” after stepping back from his role in President Donald Trump’s administration.
Musk and Trump have since repaired their relationship and appeared together at several events. Musk also maintains important federal government ties through SpaceX, a major NASA and Pentagon contractor.