The South African businessman Elon Musk has contributed more than 445 million dollars (about 400 million euros) in the current electoral cycle with the aim of bolstering the Republican Party candidates ahead of the upcoming legislative elections in the United States, scheduled for November 3, which will mark President Donald Trump's ability to govern until the end of his term in 2028.
With a recent contribution of 77 million dollars (68.7 million euros) to his political action committee (super PAC), America PAC, Musk ranks among the most significant political donors in history, according to information released by the Bloomberg agency.
In the American system, a super PAC is a political action committee authorized to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to support or attack various candidates. Unlike traditional PACs, which are subject to contribution limits, super PACs can receive large sums from individuals, corporations, unions, and other organizations. These funds are primarily used to finance large-scale advertising campaigns on television, radio, print, and social media, designed to enhance or damage the public image of a political figure.
These substantial capital injections aim to secure Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress at a crucial moment for the magnate, as his companies (SpaceX and Tesla, among others) and his role at the helm of the government project "DOGE" (Department of Government Efficiency, for its acronym in English) could be seriously affected by new regulations if the Democrats manage to regain control of the Legislature, as various polls indicate.
The bulk of Musk's economic effort has been directed towards the battle for the Senate seat in Texas. According to the aforementioned agency, the businessman has channeled tens of millions through America PAC and another 158 million dollars (a little over 140 million euros) through the Senate Leadership Fund to support the Republican Attorney General, Ken Paxton, against the Democrat James Talarico. The contest for this seat is considered one of the most decisive of the electoral cycle, and if Talarico were to be elected, he would become the first Democratic senator from Texas since 1988.
In addition, the political structure linked to Musk has allocated 9.4 million dollars (8.3 million euros) to the campaign in Ohio and 8.6 million dollars (7.7 million euros) in Michigan, while financing ground mobilization actions and sending messages in more than 30 contested districts of the House of Representatives, notably reinforcing the fundraising advantage that the Republican Party maintains over the Democrat.