Elon Musk donates more than $276 million to Republican groups since July, becoming largest known midterm donor

Elon Musk has contributed more than $276 million to Republican groups and his own America PAC since July, making him the largest known donor in the 2026 midterm elections. Representatives for Musk supplied the figures to The New York Times and confirmed them to other outlets ahead of the Thursday Federal Election Commission filing deadline for third-quarter reports.

The largest share, $158 million, went to the Senate Leadership Fund, the main super PAC supporting Republican Senate candidates. That amount is among the largest known individual political donations in US history and exceeds what the fund’s Democratic counterpart raised from all donors in the same quarter. Another $76 million went to America PAC, the super PAC Musk founded in 2024. The group is running a canvassing operation in battleground states and dozens of House races, modelled on its 2024 door-knocking effort.

Additional confirmed contributions include $20 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund for House Republicans, $10 million to Lone Star Liberty PAC supporting Ken Paxton’s Senate bid in Texas, $10 million to the Republican Governors Association and $2 million to the Republican Attorneys General Association. Total known federal political giving by Musk in the 2025-26 cycle reaches approximately $366 million. That exceeds the roughly $290 million he contributed in the 2024 presidential cycle.

The spending reverses a statement Musk made in May that he intended to cut back on future political donations and that he had done enough. He has maintained a lower public profile than in 2024, when he appeared at Trump rallies and later led the Department of Government Efficiency. His companies continue to hold substantial government contracts.

The Senate Leadership Fund is aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune. The Congressional Leadership Fund is aligned with House Speaker Mike Johnson. America PAC has focused on turnout in seven battleground states. The Texas Senate race has been a particular focus, with the $10 million to Lone Star Liberty PAC and Musk’s business interests in the state.

Forbes valued Musk’s net worth at $1 trillion as of 12 October, making him the first person to reach that threshold. The midterm donations are disclosed through the political committees that receive them. The full third-quarter filings will provide additional detail when they become public. No comparable individual donor has matched the scale of Musk’s summer contributions this cycle.

Republicans face headwinds in the midterms over prices, the Iran conflict and presidential approval ratings. The cash infusion expands the party’s financial advantage in Senate and House races. Democrats have not announced a single donor of comparable size. The practical effect of the spending will depend on how the receiving committees deploy the funds in the remaining weeks before the 3 November elections.