Big Tech's political war chest keeps growing, even as voters say the industry needs more oversight, not less
AI developers and donors have pledged $275 million toward political races. AI companies and affiliated groups spent at least $83 million on federal elections in 2025, with additional tens of millions flowing into state-level campaigns.
Following the money #
Meta has been the single largest contributor in this push, committing roughly $65 million at the state level alone.
California saw $39 million in lobbying and political contributions from tech firms linked to AI and crypto in 2025.
Big Tech political spending, including AI interests, has exceeded $1.1 billion across recent electoral cycles.
Approximately three-quarters of Big Tech’s recent political contributions have favored Republican candidates.
The AI-crypto alliance #
Joint lobbying efforts against state AI laws suggest the two sectors have found common cause. The crypto industry already proved in 2024 that massive political spending can reshape elections, with crypto-backed super PACs spending heavily to unseat lawmakers they viewed as hostile and install friendlier replacements.
Super PACs focused on “pro-innovation” and “pro-safety” messaging have attracted tens of millions in the 2026 cycle.
OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, Google, and Microsoft have all reported significant political expenditures ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our