SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has become the largest known donor of the 2026 US midterm elections after pouring more than $276 million into Republican political groups since July, according to figures disclosed ahead of a key federal campaign finance filing deadline. As per the report by CNBC, the latest contributions also push the Tesla and SpaceX CEO’s known federal political spending in the 2025-26 election cycle to about $366 million, surpassing the roughly $290 million which he spent during 2024 presidential election.
The largest share of the newly disclosed donations, $158 million, was directed to the Senate Leadership Fund, the main super PAC backing Republican Senate candidates. Musk also contributed more than $76 million to America PAC, which has built voter-turnout operations in several competitive Senate and House races. Other major donations include $20 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, which supports Republican House candidates, $10 million to the Republican Governors Association, and $2 million to the Republican Attorneys General Association. In Texas, Musk separately donated $10 million to Lone Star Liberty PAC, a group supporting Republican attorney general and Senate candidate Ken Paxton. * Senate Leadership Fund: $158 million, among the largest known political donations by an individual in U.S. history * America PAC: more than $76 million. Musk founded the group during the 2024 election, and it has built a large voter-turnout operation in competitive Senate and House races * Congressional Leadership Fund: $20 million, to the leading super PAC supporting House Republicans * Lone Star Liberty PAC: $10 million, to a group supporting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton * Republican Governors Association: $10 million * Republican Attorneys General Association: $2 million The Senate Leadership Fund has spent heavily this cycle to defend the Republican majority, including in Texas. Talarico leads 48.4% to 45.0% in FiftyPlusOne’s polling average as of October 12.
The figures were provided by Musk’s representatives to The New York Times and confirmed to CNBC by a spokesperson for America PAC, the political group founded by Musk.
The contribution ranks among the largest known political donations by an individual in US history, according to CNBC. “In terms of political spending, I’m going to do a lot less in the future,” he said in May 2025. There, Republican Paxton is running against Democrat James Talarico. Musk’s footprint in Texas has grown rapidly in recent years. Tesla, X and The Boring Company are now headquartered in the state, and SpaceX is expanding its manufacturing and launch operations there. At the time, Musk was stepping back after a highly visible role in President Donald Trump’s administration and a public falling-out with the president. The two have since repaired their relationship and have appeared together at several recent events. Musk also keeps deep ties to the federal government through SpaceX, a major NASA and Pentagon contractor. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last month named him co-director of Project Meridian, a Pentagon panel studying the future of warfare. The figures were disclosed days before a Thursday Federal Election Commission filing deadline, when political committees must report their third-quarter finances. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
The spending is a sharp turn from Musk’s public comments last year.