Reported by The Guardian
The tech mogul’s midterm donations backing Republicans have made him the largest single-cycle political donor in modern US history
Elon Musk has poured so much money into US politics this midterms election cycle that his donations could fund half a dozen SpaceX rocket launches or buy thousands of Tesla Cybertrucks. At the Tesla Diner in Los Angeles , Musk could order more than 31.9m cheeseburgers with the money he has spent on the midterms.
Musk, the world’s richest person, has funnelled at least $445.77m into Republican-aligned political action committees (Pacs) and groups since last year, according to US Federal Election Commission data as of 29 October. The contributions have made him the Republicans’ most prominent financial backer and the largest single-cycle political donor in modern US history.
More from the original report
Musk’s spending is a staggering example of the SpaceX and Tesla CEO’s political influence, as he seeks to help Donald Trump’s administration retain control of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections, though current polls predict Democrats achieving a majority. The contributions are at a scale that is difficult to fathom and dwarf efforts from big name megadonors like George Soros or Michael Bloomberg, setting a new precedent for how the rich and powerful attempt to shape politics.
Only last year, Musk claimed he would step away from making large scale political donations after putting nearly $300m towards Trump’s 2024 presidential election campaign. FEC data since then shows he has not only leaned back into financing campaigns, but that his spending has dramatically ramped up as election day approaches, increasing by about $200m in the final two months of campaigning.
Musk’s money has primarily flowed into several Republican-aligned Super Pacs , with his largest contribution of $216m going into his own America Pac. The Pac has targeted 43 House and Senate races across the US, blanketting voters with television commercials, digital ads, text messages and mailers.
America Pac made 839 independent expenditures in House races and 623 in Senate races in 17 states across the country . The spending varies greatly depending on the state, however, with campaigns in battlegrounds such as Michigan and…