According to documents released by the US Federal Election Commission on Tuesday night, Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and owner of X, has emerged as one of the most significant donors to Donald Trump’s campaign. Following his public endorsement of Trump after the attempted assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July, Musk has contributed nearly $75 million to his own political action committee, America PAC, which is actively supporting Trump’s campaign in swing states.
Musk has aligned himself with several Silicon Valley figures who have shown support for Trump. Notably, Peter Thiel, co-founder of Palantir, has been a consistent supporter of Trump, though he has stated he will not donate to candidates in 2024. Venture capitalist David Sacks, a friend of Musk, has also expressed support for the Republican Party, along with various individuals and PACs from the cryptocurrency sector.
Among tech industry figures, Musk has contributed more money to Trump’s campaign than most others. Besides backing America PAC, Musk has donated over $289,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee. While some Silicon Valley firms, such as venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, have supported Trump, individual donations from those firms can vary. For instance, Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz each contributed $2.5 million to the pro-Trump Right for America PAC last quarter, though Andreessen has also supported the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Horowitz has donated to Democratic initiatives.
The report also details other notable donations to Trump’s campaign and related efforts. David Sacks contributed $6,600 directly to the campaign but gave $114,500 to the Republican National Committee and $250,000 to the Trump 47 PAC. Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, operators of the Gemini cryptocurrency exchange, donated over $350,000 each to the Make America Great Again PAC and $250,000 each to the America PAC. Shaun Maguire from Sequoia Capital donated $500,000 to America PAC and $300,000 to the Trump 47 PAC, along with a $6,600 direct contribution to the campaign. Antonio Gracias, an early Tesla investor, and Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of Palantir, each contributed $1 million to America PAC. Kenneth Howery, a former ambassador under Trump, contributed $1 million to America PAC in addition to smaller direct campaign donations to Trump.
Elon Musk’s contributions surpass those of many other individual donors, placing him among Trump’s prominent benefactors, such as Miriam Adelson and Timothy Mellon. Musk’s substantial donations and public endorsement have provided significant support for Trump in the closely contested presidential race. Musk plans further campaigning efforts, including appearances in Pennsylvania this weekend.