The staggering $446m Elon Musk has spent on the US midterms – visualized

Elon Musk, the world's richest person, has made history by donating at least $445.77 million to Republican-aligned political action committees (PACs) and groups during the US midterms election cycle, according to data from the US Federal Election Commission as of October 29. Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has become the largest single-cycle political donor in modern US history, surpassing contributions from figures like George Soros and Michael Bloomberg.

The donations are a significant example of Musk's political influence, as he aims to help Donald Trump's administration retain control of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections. Despite initial claims to step away from large-scale political donations after funding nearly $300 million towards Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, Musk's spending has dramatically increased as the election approached, rising by around $200 million in the final two months.

His contributions have primarily gone to several Republican-aligned Super PACs, with the largest being America Pac, which Musk founded and has spent $216 million on. America Pac has targeted 43 House and Senate races across the US, airing television commercials, digital ads, text messages, and mailers. The PAC has spent a significant portion, totaling $28 million, on attack ads against Democratic candidates, particularly focusing on accusations of being radical socialists or opposing transgender rights.

Musk has also reposted America Pac's content on his social media platform, X, which boasts over 200 million followers. Despite the unprecedented scale of Musk's political spending, it remains a small fraction of his overall assets.