However, there has been no talk of this for a few months now. Trump only awarded Musk the highest scientific award in the USA at the beginning of October. At the award ceremony, the president praised the entrepreneur as the “Thomas Edison of today.”
Unlike in the 2024 election campaign, Musk has not yet been seen at Republican events. But he is even more active as a financial supporter: the more than $366 million not only makes Musk by far the largest individual donor in the midterm elections. The sum is also significantly higher than Musk’s expenses in the 2024 presidential election, when the entrepreneur is said to have paid more than $290 million. According to information from the New York Times, Musk is said to have paid out another seven-figure sum to organizations where he is not obliged to disclose.
Donations without limits
The system of campaign donations in the USA differs greatly from the requirements in Germany: In order to finance their own advertising, all top politicians in the USA are constantly busy receiving new donations during the election campaign. Many candidates send text messages or emails to their supporters every day.
However, donations from private individuals are capped by various upper limits. Companies and unions are completely prohibited from donating directly to candidates. But there is no limit to election advertising, as long as it is created independently of the politician’s campaign.
That’s why so-called Super PACs (“Political Action Committee”) come into play in the USA: These are organizations that collect millions of dollars for politicians, but use them for advertising largely independently of their election campaign. Donations from companies or unions are also possible there.
Musk’s money also flows into the election campaign via this mechanism. The entrepreneur has so far paid $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund. This is a Super PAC that runs election advertising for Republicans in the Senate. 20 million went to the Congressional Leader Fund, which does the same for Republicans in the House of Representatives.
Focus on Texas
A larger portion of $76 million also went to the America PAC, which Musk himself founded. Andrew Romeo, spokesman for the organization, explained to the New York Times what the money is for: “If the Democrats are in control Washington and win important gubernatorial and attorney general elections in November, America risks becoming a socialist, politically progressive and borderless country.” With the funds, the party has an opportunity to “defy history.”
