https://archive.is/20261016045819/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/16/us/politics/elon-musk-ken-paxton-texas-senate-race.html#selection-4207.0-4245.197Most of Ken Paxton’s Money Can Be Traced to One Man: Elon MuskThe world’s richest person, who has become the biggest known midterm donor, gave $158 million to a group that quickly spent that much to help Mr. Paxton’s Senate bid in Texas.If Ken Paxton wins in Texas, he may have Elon Musk to thank.Mr. Musk, the world’s richest person and a Texas resident who has major business interests in the state, sent $158 million in September to a super PAC that immediately flipped that much money to a group backing Mr. Paxton’s Senate bid, according to campaign-finance filings released Thursday.The donations from Mr. Musk, collectively some of the biggest ever recorded in American politics, have allowed Mr. Paxton to remain financially competitive even as he is vastly outraised by his Democratic opponent, James Talarico. Republicans in Texas have grown increasingly worried about the race, one of this year’s most expensive and high-profile contests, fearful of losing a statewide election in Texas for the first time in more than three decades.Mr. Musk sent the money to Senate Republicans’ top super PAC, the Senate Leadership Fund, in donations of $75 million on Sept. 9 and $83 million on Sept. 23. Each time, the very next day, the super PAC cut a check of the same amount to Texas PAC, a group that the Senate Leadership Fund had set up to support Mr. Paxton.The money sent to the Texas group was not necessarily Mr. Musk’s, and super PAC officials have said publicly that they were seeking new donations to finance a pro-Paxton operation. But without Mr. Musk’s historic donations, it’s unlikely that such a large amount would have flowed Mr. Paxton’s way.
Rarely has an individual donor been effectively tied to such a large commitment for a single candidate.The New York Times reported on Monday about Mr. Musk’s contributions to the Senate Leadership Fund and how they could end up helping Mr. Paxton, but the campaign filings offered more detail on the choreography of Mr. Musk’s donations.Mr. Musk also donated $10 million to a separate pro-Paxton super PAC, money that allowed the group to start running television ads in late August. Mr. Musk, who lives in Austin, and Mr. Paxton, who as the state attorney general regulates Mr. Musk’s businesses in Texas, have been allies in state politics.Mr. Musk has not shown much enthusiasm in public or private about any midterm candidates, rarely posting on X, his social media site, about Republican nominees. But in recent days, he has posted negatively multiple times about Mr. Talarico.On the campaign trail, Mr. Talarico has criticized the political influence of billionaires like Mr. Musk.
Didn’t Elon say he was done getting involved in politics?
>>1543548Are you accusing the guy who said he would have a man on Mars by 2025 of lying?
>>1543548He's trying to stop one of the most anti-business Democrats that is without a doubt going to use political lawfare to retaliate against him
esl shill is slobbing billionaire knob again
>>1543548>man who will do anything for attention does something for attention
We are fucking up massively by trying to restrict Elon. I fully believe in the Great Men of History theory and know in my heart that Donald J Trump and Elon Musk are such men. Society will be better off not getting in their way.
>>1543599One is the President of the United States whose party has controlled both chambers of Congress and the Supreme Court for two years, and the other is the richest man in the world.How much more do you think they need to be handed before they start doing great things?
>>1543599"great men are almost always bad men"
>>1543548Yes. He lied.
But it's okay for Talarico to spend 134 million on his campaign>But muh grassroots $5 donationsOkay Ravi. I'm sure no billionaires were involved in that at all
what's the indian version of uncle tom? esl shill seems to be one of those
>>1543609Elon is doing the thing youre getting upset about and lying about it
>>1543609Okay, then let’s get money out of politics.
>>1543616Explain to me how you do this completely impossible thing>Government law banning itNo chance
>>1543617Government law banning it.>No chance Not with that attitude.
>>1543616Sounds good. Do you know of any country in history that got money out of politics we could emulated the path of?
>>1543626your patronizing attitude is blowing your cover
>>1543626I wouldn’t mind being the first. Can’t hurt to try.
>>1543628Are you going to post an example or a source or are you just going to do some ad hominem attacking the messenger retort?
>>1543631are you going to excoriate talarico or not
>>1543548Once you steal one election, like he did when he had starlink hack the results in 2024, you just won't stop.
>>1543633People who speak English natively don't use words like "excoriate"
>>1543600because democrats didn't have that the previous term you dipshit.
>>1543645Correct.
>>1543643>that word is too big, you must be esl like meLOL
>>1543540lol. NY Times.>Elon is making Republicans win in Texas!!!Good job then, I guess.
>>1543668>Elon is buying a US Senator outright, and that's a GOOD thing!Cuck
Elon buying and rigging the election is one of many ways trump and the republicans will steal the midterms>>1543700
>>1543710What was it?
>one of many ways trump and the republicans will steal the midtermsBut only in 1543710's imagination. Reality destroys opinions: >>1543700
>>1543609>my guy is accused of bad thing, let me make up worse story about his opponent and pretend it's truelol retard. everyone can see what you're doing.
>>1543739https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-election-midterms-scenarios/
>>1543540His beard isn’t far down his neck enough…
>>1543710Elections can't be bought. Shitty politicians just lose. Kamala spent over a billion more than Trump and got curb stomped. Thomas Massie lost because he acted like a pussy ass bitch and voters got tired of him being on social media every single day swearing he was going to release the epstein files and then never caring about it after he lost
>>1543905>Election's can't be boughtSays this when Musk is about to buy the Texas Senate race single handedly.>Or ignore how Paxton is still in politics because his other million and billionaire owners bought off the republicans during the impeachment trial
>>1543967https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/2016-election/campaign-finance/Just because you have more money doesn't mean you win
>>1543969>Whatabout>To defend Paxton about to win because he's being boosted by a single billionareGlad you admit we need campaign fiance laws and money shouldn't equal free speech. Where every person campaigning only gets fixed amount of money.
>>1543970You call it "whataboutism". I call it "evidence that just because you have more money doesn't mean you win"
