Tech billionaire Elon Musk has donated $276 million to groups backing right-wing candidates ahead of the US midterm elections on November 3, becoming the largest individual donor for the polls, The New York Times reported.

All the contributions were made since July, taking Musk’s total political spending in the current election cycle to $366 million. Most of the money has gone to groups supporting Republicans as the party seeks to retain control of Congress.

The Senate Leadership Fund, a Republican-aligned political action committee (PAC), received the largest share at $158 million. The group supports Republican efforts to retain control of the Senate.

Musk also donated $76 million to his own America PAC. Other recipients included the Congressional Leadership Fund, which received $20 million, the Republican Governors Association and the Lone Star Liberty PAC, which received $10 million each. The Republican Attorneys General Association received $2 million.

While individual campaign donations in the US are capped at $3,300 per person, wealthy donors can contribute much larger amounts to political action committees that support candidates and election campaigns.

Musk has a history of heavy political spending. In 2024, he contributed around $290 million to support Donald Trump’s re-election campaign.

His latest donations follow a public fallout with Trump in 2025. Musk left the White House, where he had led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and later criticised Trump’s flagship tax and spending legislation.

The dispute escalated as the two exchanged sharp criticism. Musk also threatened to launch a third political party.

Relations between the two have since improved. Musk has returned to Trump’s political circle and attended White House events.

Last week, Trump presented Musk with the National Medal of Science at an event in Washington, signalling a further improvement in their relationship.

Trump has also described the Tesla chief as a “modern-day Thomas Edison" and a “national treasure".