US midterms 2026: Elon Musk's political spending hits $445 million as Republicans battle to retain Senate control

Elon Musk has donated at least $445 million to influence US midterm elections, with major contributions aimed at helping Republicans retain Senate control

Billionaire Elon Musk has donated at least $445 million to influence election outcomes this cycle, with a significant portion of his contributions directed toward helping Republicans maintain their control of the US Senate. The massive spending has established the world's richest man as the largest disclosed donor in the midterm races, which will determine control of Congress during the final two years of President Donald Trump's term in the White House.

Filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission on Thursday, providing the final snapshot of political contributions before Election Day, revealed that Musk injected another $76.8 million into his super PAC during the first two weeks of October. His contributions had already been substantial in the preceding months. In September, Musk donated a total of $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which is aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune. He also made donations worth tens of millions of dollars to super PACs involved in House races.

Musk's own political group, America PAC, is also playing an active role in the midterm elections. The organisation is financing mailers, digital advertisements and text-message campaigns designed to encourage Republican voters to turn out. Musk's overall political spending during the two-year period also extends to state-level elections. Last year, for example, America PAC participated in a Wisconsin Supreme Court race, making an unsuccessful attempt to help a conservative candidate win a seat.

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, has warned Democrats who are planning to investigate his business interests and role in the federal government if they gain control of Congress in November. Musk responded on Wednesday to a Politico report outlining Democratic plans to investigate his activities should the party win the upcoming midterm elections.

"Live by the sword, die by the sword," Musk wrote on X, the social media platform he owns. He followed the post with another warning directed at those seeking to investigate him. "Those who pick fights with me should understand that I will find out who is really pulling the strings and come for them, not just their puppets," Musk added on the platform, which he regularly uses to promote conspiracy theories.