Filings released by the US Federal Election Commission on Tuesday night reveal that Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and owner of X, has become one of the major donors to Donald Trump’s campaign. Since endorsing Trump following a reported assassination attempt against the former president in Butler, Pennsylvania, Musk has donated nearly $75 million to his political action committee, America PAC, which is actively campaigning in swing states on behalf of the Trump campaign.
Musk is among several Silicon Valley elites showing support for Trump, including Peter Thiel, a billionaire and cofounder of Palantir, and David Sacks, a venture capitalist and friend of Musk, who has also extended support to Republicans. Trump’s campaign has received significant backing from political action committees and individuals within the cryptocurrency community as well.
Musk’s contributions to Trump’s campaign surpass those of most individuals within the tech industry. Besides supporting America PAC, Musk has made a donation of over $289,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee. While some Silicon Valley institutions, such as the venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, have supported Trump, not all individual donors from these companies share this stance. Marc Andreessen and his business partner, Ben Horowitz, each contributed $2.5 million to the pro-Trump Right for America PAC. Additionally, Andreessen has donated to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, while Horowitz has supported Democratic campaigns and announced he would back Harris over Trump.
David Sacks has directly contributed $6,600 to Trump’s campaign, supplemented by donations of $114,500 to the Republican National Committee and $250,000 to the Trump 47 PAC. The Winklevoss twins, Tyler and Cameron, who operate the crypto exchange Gemini, donated more than $350,000 each to the Make America Great Again PAC and $250,000 each to America PAC. Shaun Maguire, a partner at Sequoia Capital, contributed $500,000 to America PAC, $300,000 to the Trump 47 PAC, and $6,600 directly to Trump’s campaign. Billionaire and early Tesla investor Antonio Gracias, along with Palantir cofounder Joe Lonsdale, each donated $1 million to the America PAC. Kenneth Howery, a former ambassador and PayPal Mafia member, also contributed $1 million to America PAC and made smaller donations directly to the Trump campaign.
Musk’s financial support exceeds that of other contributors combined, placing him among Trump’s top billionaire donors, including Miriam Adelson, who donated $95 million to the pro-Trump Preserve America PAC recently, and Timothy Mellon, the campaign’s largest donor, contributing at least $115 million to the Make America Great Again PAC this year.
Musk’s substantial financial backing, alongside his public endorsement on platforms he owns, has significantly bolstered Trump’s position in a closely contested presidential race. Musk is expected to continue promoting voter turnout with appearances scheduled in Pennsylvania over the weekend.
