Story perspectives

Elon Musk Spends $366M on 2026 Midterms

By Drooid · Oct 16, 2026, 6:26 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Elon Musk has spent about $366 million on the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, including $276 million since July supporting Republican candidates.
Musk donated $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund.
He contributed $20 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund.
Musk gave $76 million to his America PAC.
He provided $10 million to Lone Star Liberty PAC supporting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Senate bid.

History

Historical Context

After the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling removed corporate spending limits and, two months later, SpeechNow.org enabled super-PACs, independent expenditures surged from $1.5 billion in 2010 to $3.2 billion by 2022. Building on that trend, Elon Musk pledged $366 million for the 2026 midterms, underscoring billionaire-driven influence and renewed calls for campaign-finance reform.

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Story summary

Elon Musk has spent about $366 million on the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, including $276 million since July supporting Republican candidates.
Musk donated $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund.
He contributed $20 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund.
Musk gave $76 million to his America PAC.
He provided $10 million to Lone Star Liberty PAC supporting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Senate bid.

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