Elon Musk, billionaire entrepreneur and owner of X, has emerged as one of the largest donors to Donald Trump’s campaign, according to filings released by the US Federal Election Commission on Tuesday night. Since publicly endorsing Trump following the July assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, Musk has poured nearly $75 million into Trump’s own political action committee, America PAC, which is actively campaigning on the ground in swing states.
Musk’s donation is the largest from the tech industry, eclipsing contributions from other prominent Silicon Valley figures. Peter Thiel, billionaire co-founder of Palantir, has been a longtime Trump supporter, while venture capitalist David Sacks, a friend of Musk’s, has also expressed support for the Republicans. However, Musk’s financial backing of Trump far surpasses that of his peers. In addition to his support for America PAC, Musk has donated over $289,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee.
In contrast, individual donors from companies like Andreessen Horowitz have not contributed to Trump’s campaign to the same extent. Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, co-founders of the venture firm, each donated $2.5 million to the pro-Trump Right for America PAC last quarter. However, Andreessen has also donated to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, while Horowitz has backed Democratic campaigns and publicly declared his support for Kamala Harris.
Other notable donors from the tech industry include Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, co-founders of the crypto exchange Gemini, who each donated over $350,000 to the Make America Great Again PAC. Shaun Maguire, a partner at Sequoia Capital, has donated $500,000 to America PAC, $300,000 to the Trump 47 PAC, and $6,600 to the Trump campaign directly. Antonio Gracias, an early Tesla backer, and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale have each donated $1 million to America PAC.
Musk’s massive donation puts him in the same league as Trump’s largest donors, including Miriam Adelson, the widow of Sheldon Adelson, who donated $95 million to the pro-Trump Preserve America PAC in the past three months. Billionaire Timothy Mellon, heir to the Mellon railroad fortune, remains the campaign’s largest donor, having contributed at least $115 million to the Make America Great Again PAC this year.
Musk’s financial support, combined with his vocal endorsement of Trump on his platform, has been a significant boost to the Trump campaign in an increasingly tight presidential race. Trump will continue to campaign in person this weekend, with a series of appearances in Pennsylvania. Musk’s influence is expected to be felt in the final stretch of the campaign.
