NEW YORK — Elon Musk, the world’s only trillionaire, has quietly become the biggest known donor in this year’s midterm elections, doling out more than $276 million since July to try to save Republican majorities in Congress.

The numbers, first reported by the New York Times ahead of this week’s federal filing deadline, were confirmed by Andrew Romeo, a spokesperson for Musk’s super PAC.

The money includes $158 million given to the Senate Leadership Fund, the main super PAC supporting Republican Senate candidates, one of the largest known political donations in American history, according to the Times.Another $76 million went to America PAC, a Musk super PAC, which has once again built out a major turnout operation like the one it used to help elect President Donald Trump by knocking on doors in 2024.

Musk also provided $10 million to Lone Star Liberty PAC, a group that supports the Republican nominee for Senate in Texas, Ken Paxton. The race has been a major focus of Musk’s efforts.

The $276 million donated since July is just what is publicly known. Musk has also made some seven-figure donations to support midterm candidates through groups that are not required to disclose their donors, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

Musk has already given far more money, about $366 million, to federal committees during the entire 2025-26 election cycle than he did during the 2024 election, when he laid out roughly $290 million to help return President Donald Trump and Republicans to power. He has given even more in undisclosed donations during both elections, according to people briefed on the giving.

Turnaround, low profile

It’s a dramatic turnaround since last May, when Musk said he intended to cut back on future political spending. “I think I’ve done enough,” he said at the time.

Despite the cash infusion, Musk has generally kept a lower profile than in 2024, when he appeared on stage next to Trump at rallies, and in the early days of the president’s second term, when he led the Department of Government Efficiency.

He had a falling out with Trump while leaving his government post, but the two have since reconciled. Trump presented Musk with the National Medal of Science last week.

Spending on ads, canvassing

Musk’s net worth has fluctuated around the trillion-dollar line this year based on changes in stock prices, but he topped $1 trillion again last week according to Forbes magazine.

Republican have a gaping financial advantage over their Democratic counterparts — a disparity that has been a rare bright spot for a party that is bracing for major potential losses amid deep voter frustration over the president’s performance, stubbornly high prices and the unpopular war with Iran.

They have been using the money to blanket the airwaves in the race’s final stretch.

“If Democrats take control of Washington and win key gubernatorial and attorney general races this November, then America risks becoming a socialist, woke and borderless country,” said Andrew Romeo, a spokesperson for America PAC. “These robust investments have allowed the GOP apparatus to get its message out so Republicans can have a fighting chance to defy history.”

Democrats responded to the news by accusing Republicans of using vast amounts of cash to mask their shortcomings.

“Republicans are hoping to buy these elections, injecting tens of millions into races to try and outrun their unpopular candidates, unpopular president, and unpopular economy,” said Lauren French, a spokesperson for Democrats’ Senate Majority PAC.

Focus in Texas

On voters’ doors across Texas, the campaign literature carries a dramatic message: “Radical Democrat socialists are winning elections all across America. Could Texas be next?”

The hanging door cards are the work of Musk’s voter-turnout operation, which deployed nearly 3,000 paid canvassers last week around the country, according to America PAC officials.

The group has devoted most of its more than $76 million in midterm spending so far to this canvassing program, shelling out smaller amounts on advertising, mail, phone calls and text messages. Much of the messaging targets Democrats, sometimes in misleading or overheated ways.

Musk and his operation, people close to them say, have been particularly focused on the Texas Senate race. The group has unloaded over a third of its disclosed spending in that expensive race, more than in any other. It is uncommon to run an extensive field campaign in large states like Texas, where television ads are more often used to reach voters.

Musk, a resident of Austin, has extensive business interests and property holdings in Texas. Paxton, the state attorney general, has investigated Musk’s opponents, including Media Matters, a liberal group.

This story includes information from the New York Times.