Elon Musk spent at least $260 million on efforts to support Donald Trump’s successful reelection bid, making him one of biggest donors of the 2024 election cycle and maybe the biggest.
His America PAC has spent just shy of $250 million since it was launched in July by Musk with the backing of other influential business and tech leaders, according to new filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). The vast majority of that cash came from Musk himself, who has personally given more than $238 million to the PAC.
His recently created United States of America Inc. is also listed as a donor to America PAC. Forbes reported last month that voters who signed a petition “in favor of free speech and the right to bear arms” advertised by America PAC had started receiving checks from USA Inc. A company that shares an address with that firm, Group America LLC, is also listed as a donor.
America PAC primarily worked on advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts in battleground states.
At least three lawsuits have been brought against the PAC over its $1 million-a-day giveaway to voters who signed America PAC’s petition. Canvassers have sued America PAC and others over an alleged failure to reimburse business expenses and providing inaccurate wage statements. America PAC has also been accused of shady practices concerning its canvassing operations in Michigan and its website.
Musk’s work with America PAC — and beyond — is a significant factor behind Trump’s victory, according to Trump’s former chief strategist.
“Look, he stroked a $150 million check for the ground game, which is not sexy, at the exact moment we needed it,” Steve Bannon told Puck last month. “He came in with the money and the professionals. To be brutally frank, it’s the reason we won.”
Besides funding his own PAC, Musk donated to several others that emerged in the waning days of the election. A trust in his name gave $20.5 million to RBG PAC, named after the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which tried to convince voters that Trump would protect abortion access. Ginsburg famously despised the former president, and her family criticized Trump’s allies for invoking her name in October.
“The RBG PAC has no connection to the Ginsburg family and is an affront to my late grandmother’s legacy,” Clara Spera, Ginsburg’s granddaughter and an abortion rights lawyer, said last month. “The use of her name and image to support Donald Trump’s re-election campaign, and specifically to suggest that she would approve of his position on abortion, is nothing short of appalling.”
Not only did Musk fund the group, but he also appears to be its only donor. The firm’s treasurer is May Mailman, the director of the Independent Women’s Law Center and a former legal advisor to Trump on issues including healthcare and immigration.
He also donated $3 million to the MAHA Alliance, a super PAC named after former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” catchphrase. Kennedy was recently named as Trump’s pick to lead the Health and Human Services Department despite his history of touting debunked claims about vaccines.
Musk has also given money to a number of other groups, including the Alabama Republican Party and Early Vote Action PAC, which aims to increase Republican voter registration. Besides funding efforts to elect Trump, America PAC backed Republicans in more than a dozen Congressional races.
Since Trump won the election, Musk has started flexing his influence. Musk has become a nearly constant presence in Trump’s orbit since the 2024 election, even sleeping at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, and joining calls with major CEOs and world leaders.
He’s been tapped to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency alongside billionaire entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, which will make recommendations on how Congress can cut federal spending. A number of his allies have also been granted potential posts in Trump’s next administration.
Jared Isaacman, a billionaire who has worked with SpaceX to take multiple flights into space, has been tapped to lead NASA, while venture capitalist David Sacks will be Trump’s artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency czar. The next head of the Federal Communications Commission has frequently supported Musk and his companies, while being critical of some of his firms’ rivals.
Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal (NWSA) reported that OpenAI’s Sam Altman and other tech and business leaders who have drawn Musk’s ire are worried about the influence he could have on regulation. However, both Altman and Blue Origin CEO and Amazon $AMZN (AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos have publicly dismissed concerns.