Key facts
- Crypto and AI companies and employees contributed more than $506 million to political committees this election cycle, per Tech Influence Watch estimates.
- Industry-focused PACs spent nearly $250 million on federal elections, including primaries, per Tech Influence Watch.
- AI-focused super PACs spent $72.3 million, per Transformer's AI Campaign Finance Tracker; Tech Influence Watch put the figure near $79 million.
- The crypto industry's three largest super PACs, including Fairshake, spent roughly $170 million on congressional races, CoinDesk reported.
- Elon Musk was the biggest individual political donor of the cycle, contributing more than $470 million to political groups.
Crypto- and AI-focused super PACs spent $112 million supporting and opposing candidates in the 2026 general election, according to Tech Influence Watch. As of Wednesday morning, $74.7 million of that spending had gone toward losing candidates or efforts to defeat winning candidates, the group estimated.
Overall, crypto and AI companies and employees contributed more than $506 million to political committees this election cycle, per Tech Influence Watch's estimates. Industry-focused PACs spent nearly $250 million on federal elections, including primaries.
AI-focused super PACs spent $72.3 million on the elections, including nearly $28 million from groups pushing for fewer AI regulations, according to Transformer's AI Campaign Finance Tracker. Tech Influence Watch put that figure closer to $79 million.
The crypto industry's three largest super PACs, including Fairshake, spent roughly $170 million on congressional races, CoinDesk reported. Fairshake and its affiliates accounted for $154 million of that spending, a spokesperson told CoinDesk.
Elon Musk was the biggest individual political donor of the election cycle, contributing more than $470 million to political groups. A significant portion went toward supporting Republican Ken Paxton in Texas's Senate race against Democrat James Talarico; Paxton lost, with Talarico winning roughly 55% of the vote.
In Ohio, Democrat Sherrod Brown won his Senate race against Republican Jon Husted despite crypto-focused super PACs Defend American Jobs and Digital Freedom Fund having spent more than $64 million supporting Husted or opposing Brown. The Elon Musk-backed Senate Leadership Fund also spent more than $95.6 million on the race, mostly trying to defeat Brown, and Musk's America PAC spent another $9.7 million opposing Brown.
In South Carolina, Republican Darline Graham lost her Senate race to Democrat Annie Andrews. AI-focused super PACs Building the Future and American Mission had poured more than $4.8 million into supporting her campaign, and the Senate Leadership Fund spent $13 million in a failed attempt to defeat Andrews.
In Maine, Republican Sen. Susan Collins lost her reelection bid to Democrat Troy Jackson. The pro-AI Alliance for a Better Future super PAC had spent over $800,000 supporting her, and she also benefited from $38.6 million in spending on the race from the Senate Leadership Fund and $2.3 million from the America PAC.