Tech Bosses Spent $394.1-M On U.S. Election

Silicon Valley funneled over $394.1 million into the U.S. presidential election this year, according to an analysis by The Guardian.

Donations came from tech’s most prominent companies, including Google, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and Netflix. I Photo: Oleg Yunakov Wikimedia Commons

A significant portion of this came from a staggering $243 million donation by Elon Musk to Donald Trump’s campaign, as reported by Raphael Hernandes, Lauren Aratani, and Will Craft.

The analysis, based on new data from the U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC), highlights the growing influence of the tech industry in American politics—a trend enabled by the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision, which granted corporations the status of political citizens and opened the door for unlimited electoral spending.

Cryptocurrency advocates were particularly active in this election, investing heavily in presidential campaigns and key congressional races to fend off regulatory efforts. Donations came from tech’s most prominent companies, including Google, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and Netflix.

Donald Trump received $273.2 million in tech donations, led by:

• Elon Musk (Tesla, SpaceX, and X, formerly Twitter): $242.6 million

• Marc Andreessen (Andreessen Horowitz): $5.5 million

• Jan Koum (WhatsApp founder): $5.1 million

Kamala Harris secured $120.9 million, including contributions from:

• Dustin Moskovitz (Facebook co-founder, now of Asana): $51.1 million

• Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn co-founder): $17 million

• Chris Larsen (Ripple chair): $11.7 million

The FEC data provides only a partial view of the financial flood into Washington, as political donations are often routed through opaque channels.

U.S. campaign financing typically occurs in three ways: direct contributions to campaigns (capped at $3,300 per candidate), donations to political action committees (PACs), or undisclosed funding through Super PACs and other entities.