American businessman Elon Musk set a new record and became the donor who invested the largest amount of money in a single electoral cycle, reaching $474 million (EUR 422 million) in donations to the Republican Party.
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03/11/2026
by
Lusa
O american businessman Elon Musk set a new record and became the donor who invested the largest amount of money in a single electoral cycle, reaching 474 million dollars (422 million euros) in donations to the Republican Party.
Never before had a donor who was not a candidate for an election contributed such a high public value.
Despite the significant amount allocated to the Republican Party, and according to investigations carried out by The New York Times, the real value may be even higher.
Musk also made undeclared donations, and federal records only cover the period until October 14th and so it is possible that he has increased his contribution in recent weeks.
Several Democratic legislators have announced that they intend to investigate Musk if they regain control of one of the Chambers of Congress in the mid-term elections on Tuesday, a scenario which, according to the latest polls, is a possibility.
The focus of these investigations would be its action ahead of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, later dissolved, the contracts of its companies with the federal government and its role in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
In addition to the record of public donations made by an individual, in this case Musk, the mid-term elections of 2026 broke the record of spending on political publicity in the United States, even exceeding the presidential cycle of 2024, according to AdImpact.
In Tuesday's elections, the entire House of Representatives (low chamber) and one third of the 100 Senate seats (high chamber) will be renewed. Governors will also be elected in 36 of the 50 states, as well as several local positions.