How much has Elon Musk spent on the 2026 midterms, according to On with Kara Swisher?

Kara Swisher cites Washington Post reporting that Elon Musk has spent about $446 million on the 2026 midterms, making him the largest individual political donor in modern American history. Billionaire donors on both sides have spent more than $2.7 billion combined. Kirsten Grind notes that Musk had said a year earlier he would stop giving, and Faiz Siddiqui points out that the money is spent openly rather than through dark-money channels.

• Federal filings show $158 million from Musk to the Senate Republicans' super PAC in a single month.
• Catherine Rampell argues the spending would deliver a huge return if it fends off Democratic investigations.
• Musk himself welcomed a comparison showing he out-gives George Soros, framing it as saving Western civilization.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on On with Kara Swisher (2026-10-29). Read the whole episode summary →

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