Elon Musk spent more money on the 2026 midterm elections than any political donor in American history. In Texas, the state his companies call home, it didn't buy him the results he wanted.
The world's richest man spent at least $474 million on the midterms, including about $224 million in Texas, according to campaign finance records. On Tuesday, Texas voters elected Democrat James Talarico to the U.S. Senate over Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, the candidate Musk spent the most to support. They also ousted Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in favor of Democrat Gina Hinojosa.
The biggest share of Musk's Texas spending moved in two checks in September. According to the Senate Leadership Fund's third-quarter Federal Election Commission report, Musk gave the main Senate Republican super PAC $75 million on Sept. 9 and another $83 million on Sept. 23.
The day after each donation, the fund transferred the exact same amount to Texas PAC, a super PAC supporting Paxton. The filings don't prove Musk's specific dollars funded those transfers, but the timing drew wide attention.
Musk also gave Abbott $5 million in the final stretch of the race, according to state campaign finance filings firs...