Musk’s $445 million Republican spending fails to prevent election losses

Billionaire Elon Musk's estimated $445 million in political spending failed to prevent major Republican losses in Tuesday's US midterm elections, after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress.

Billionaire Elon Musk’s estimated $445 million in political spending failed to prevent major Republican losses in Tuesday’s US midterm elections, after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress.

Musk, one of the biggest financial backers of Republican candidates and conservative political groups, joked about the results on Wednesday.

“Guess my election-interfering space lasers didn’t work this time,” he wrote on X, adding a shrugging emoji.

Musk’s spending during the election cycle made him the largest individual political donor in modern US history, according to campaign finance data cited by US media. Much of the money went to Republican-aligned political action committees, including his America PAC and the Senate Leadership Fund.

Texas was a particularly costly setback for Musk. More than $200 million was spent in support of Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in his Senate campaign, according to BBC reporting. But Paxton lost to Democrat James Talarico, who flipped the seat in a state that backed President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

Musk’s political spending also failed to prevent Democratic victories in other closely watched races, including Ohio and Kansas. In Ohio, Democrat Sherrod Brown defeated Republican incumbent Jon Husted, while Democrat Adam Hamilton won in Kansas, where the party had not secured a Senate victory since 1932.

The results marked a significant setback for Musk, whose growing involvement in US politics has made him an influential financial backer of Republican candidates.