2026-08-20T10:04:54.532Z / 路透社
- 概要
- 新资金来自仅在一代人之前几乎不存在的行业的亿万富翁
- 15个月内美国企业为2026年参众两院选举花费5.17亿美元
- 批评人士称，此类支出可能加剧小众利益集团的影响力，挤压民生议题的讨论空间
纽约8月20日路透电 —— 少数亿万富翁和企业正在推动今年美国中期选举的企业支出，他们并非过去几十年盘踞华盛顿政治食物链顶端的传统权力掮客。
竞选财务监督机构以及对十余名两党政治战略家的采访显示，加密货币公司、人工智能企业和在线博彩业已成为塑造2026年中期选举的最大行业，推动国会竞选的企业支出创下纪录。
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两党战略家表示，涌入美国政坛的新资金来自新一代亿万富翁，他们所在的行业在一代人之前几乎不存在，填补了过去由华尔街、制药、石油和媒体行业占据的领域。
随着全美各地的议员呼吁对这些行业加强审查和监管，这些行业的创始人正动用新获得的财富争取盟友、制定规则并抵制相关监管努力。
企业问责制非营利组织公共公民（Public Citizen）汇编的数据显示，截至第一季度末的15个月内，美国企业已为2026年美国众议院和参议院选举花费了前所未有的5.17亿美元，超过了2024年选举两年来企业支出创下的4.61亿美元纪录。
而这还未计入11月3日选举最后阶段预计掀起的竞选支出热潮，届时民主党有望夺回参众两院的控制权。
“本届选举周期的企业支出规模是我们此前从未见过的，”公共研究所研究主任里克·克莱普尔说道。
批评人士认为，此类支出可能加剧小众利益集团的影响力，让加密货币和人工智能监管、数据中心能源需求以及在线赌博监管等议题取代高油价和医疗保健等民生议题。支持者则表示，这为新兴行业提供了长期以来其他企业利益集团享有的发声渠道。
“当企业资金淹没政治言论空间时，人们真正关心的议题就没多少讨论余地了，”克莱普尔说，“如今国会的情况就是如此，他们花了过多时间讨论与加密货币相关的小众监管政策问题，而民众真正想要的是更便宜的食品杂货。”
不过，金钱的作用也存在边界。民调显示，大多数美国人认为政治领域的资金过多，而得克萨斯州的詹姆斯·塔拉里科和密歇根州的阿卜杜勒·埃尔赛义德等进步派民主党参议院候选人成功以“富裕捐赠者和企业对华盛顿影响力过大”为论点开展竞选活动。
毫无限制
公共公民的数据显示，从2025年1月1日到第一季度，加密货币、科技和在线博彩行业的捐款至少占中期选举企业支出的2.94亿美元。
正如加密货币行业在上一个选举周期开创的做法一样，这些行业通过庞大的所谓超级政治行动委员会（超级PAC）、附属PAC（资金来自超级PAC）以及无需披露捐赠者身份的黑暗资金非营利组织网络来组织竞选捐款。企业和创始人通常会在这些网络之间捐款，同时也直接向特定候选人捐赠。
这些组织可以接受无限额捐款，但不能直接向候选人捐款或与候选人协调活动。相反，它们可以用于支付广告费用、组织选民动员活动以及赞助竞选集会。
运营这些公司的高管还直接投入了数百万美元，例如：
SpaceX创始人埃隆·马斯克已为2026年联邦选举投入超过9000万美元，并计划在11月前投入更多资金。联邦和州备案文件显示，谷歌联合创始人谢尔盖·布林也在加州为一项拟议的财富税及其他州级议题花费了超过1.06亿美元。布林和马斯克未回复置评请求。
运营Facebook和Instagram的Meta已向四个不同的超级PAC捐赠了6500万美元，用于支持加州、德克萨斯州、伊利诺伊州等地的两党州级选举候选人。该公司拒绝为本文置评。
政治广告研究公司AdImpact的数据显示，包括马斯克等亿万富翁、劳工团体和社会事业捐款在内的所有政治支出，预计中期选举的政治广告总花费将达到创纪录的116亿美元，打破2023-2024选举周期112亿美元的此前纪录。
政治颠覆者
加密货币公司Coinbase和瑞波（Ripple）以及投资公司安德森·霍洛维茨（Andreessen Horowitz）在2024年通过其Fairshake超级PAC投入巨资，试图推翻俄亥俄州长期任职的民主党参议员谢罗德·布朗。
加密货币行业当年的策略效果显著，以至于公共公民将其Fairshake超级PAC称为企业“死星”，能够“消灭个别候选人”。两党战略家表示，这种不遵循传统、不局限于单一政党的运作模式，如今正被大型科技公司、体育博彩业和其他行业效仿。
相反，该行业公开支持支持其政策的候选人——无论党派如何，并斥巨资终结那些不支持其政策的政客的政治生涯。
作为参议院银行委员会当时的主席，布朗曾是国会中该行业最直言不讳的批评者之一，但战略家们表示，如今他在寻求重返参议院的过程中对加密货币问题保持沉默，甚至态度缓和。布朗的竞选经理帕特里克·艾森豪尔在给路透社的一份声明中表示，布朗“承认加密货币是美国经济的一部分”，并持开放态度。
备案文件显示，Fairshake年初拥有1.93亿美元的竞选资金，目前仍有约1.3亿美元可供使用。其资金几乎全部来自Coinbase、瑞波以及加州风险投资公司安德森·霍洛维茨。
路透社分析的联邦选举记录显示，该公司联合创始人本·霍洛维茨和马克·安德森各自在本届选举周期中个人捐款约400万美元，其中大部分捐给了美国总统唐纳德·特朗普的“让美国再次伟大公司”（MAGA Inc.）超级PAC，而他们的投资公司已向主要面向加密货币和人工智能的PAC捐款超过8100万美元。其中至少2380万美元流向了Fairshake。该公司及其联合创始人通过发言人拒绝置评。
瑞波拒绝置评。Coinbase未回应置评请求。
人工智能加入角逐
人工智能在2024年选举中几乎没有存在感，但此次选举已凸显其影响力。
竞选财务记录显示，仅在今年6月，由人工智能公司OpenAI和Anthropic支持的政治团体——这些团体希望实施不同类型的监管监督——或其高管就已向纽约市一个坚定的自由派选区的两名竞争民主党提名的候选人花费了超过2300万美元。
“本质上是两个人工智能团体在相互较量，候选人反倒成了次要角色，”无党派竞选财务监督机构OpenSecrets主任布伦丹·格拉文说道。
熟悉该组织资金情况的人士透露，人工智能超级PAC“引领未来”（Leading the Future）已为中期选举筹集了1.4亿美元，部分原因是OpenAI联合创始人兼总裁格雷格·布罗克曼及其妻子安娜，以及安德森·霍洛维茨的大额捐款。
OpenAI和布罗克曼夫妇拒绝置评。该公司此前曾表示，不会为“引领未来”的活动提供资金或指导，布罗克曼、他的妻子和其他员工可以以个人身份自由捐款。备案文件显示，这对夫妇还单独向MAGA Inc.捐赠了2500万美元。
“我们明确表示：没有任何外部政治团体代表OpenAI或表达我们公司的观点，”该公司在6月说道。
Anthropic在本届选举周期中通过名为“公共第一行动”（Public First Action）的黑暗资金非营利组织捐赠了至少4000万美元，该组织的发言人拒绝透露其他捐赠者，称其迄今已筹集1亿美元。他表示，约一半资金通过两个关联PAC用于选举活动。
该公司将本文相关问题交由该组织回应，同时还与名为“公共第一”的超级PAC有关联，该PAC额外筹集了390万美元，其中100万美元来自Anthropic联合创始人兼首席执行官达里奥·阿莫迪，联邦备案文件显示。Anthropic还运营着一个小型传统PAC“AnthroPAC”，接受员工捐款，并可直接向竞选活动捐款。
该公司为其向该非营利组织的捐款辩护，称这些资金用于向公众宣传政策，而非支持或反对特定候选人。
“他们效仿了加密货币行业2024年的许多做法，”格拉文在谈到人工智能行业支持被视为友好的候选人、无视传统党派界限的努力时说道。
在线体育博彩业在面临越来越多的审查和监管压力之际，也在效仿这一模式。
公共公民估计，DraftKings、FanDuel、Fanatics以及英国体育博彩公司bet365迄今已向中期选举捐赠了超过7200万美元，使该行业成为本届选举周期第三大企业捐赠方。备案文件显示，它们将大部分资金通过两个附属PAC——“美国保守基金”和“美国未来”——投向该行业面临最严格监管的州级选举。
预测市场Polymarket于6月通过其母公司Blockratize Inc.向由众议院议长迈克·约翰逊支持的共和党超级PAC“国会领导基金”捐赠了100万美元，备案文件显示。
博彩平台未回应置评请求。
竞选财务监督机构表示，涌入本届选举周期的资金数额令人震惊。
“自2010年以来投入的企业资金中有三分之一花在了本届选举周期上，而选举还未结束，”克莱普尔说，“投入这些选举的企业资金规模是前所未有的。”
道恩·科佩基纽约报道，华盛顿特区的博·埃里克森补充报道。
大卫·加芬和迪帕·巴宾顿编辑
The new kingmakers: Crypto, AI and betting firms fuel record spending on the 2026 midterms
2026-08-20T10:04:54.532Z / Reuters
- Summary
- New money pours in from billionaires from industries that barely existed a generation ago
- US companies spent $517 million on 2026 House and Senate races in 15 months
- Critics say spending risks amplifying influence of a small group of niche interests, elbowing out pocketbook issues
NEW YORK, Aug 20 (Reuters) – A handful of billionaires and companies are driving corporate spending in U.S. midterm elections this year, and they aren’t the usual power brokers who have sat atop the political food chain in Washington in previous decades.
Crypto companies, artificial intelligence firms and online betting have emerged as the biggest industries shaping the 2026 midterm races, driving a record amount of business spending on congressional contests, according to campaign finance watchdogs and interviews with more than a dozen political strategists from both parties.
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The new money surging into U.S. politics comes from a fresh class of billionaires hailing from industries that barely existed a generation ago, occupying territory traditionally held by Wall Street, along with the pharmaceutical, oil and media industries, strategists from both parties say.
As lawmakers across the country press for more scrutiny and regulation of these industries, their founders are deploying their newfound wealth to win allies, shape rules and push back on those efforts.
U.S. companies have spent an unprecedented $517 million on the 2026 U.S. House and Senate races in the 15 months through the end of the first quarter, exceeding the record $461 million in corporate spending over two years for the 2024 elections, data compiled by corporate accountability nonprofit group Public Citizen shows.
And that’s before the blitz of campaign spending expected in the closing stretch of the November 3 elections, when Democrats hope to wrest control of both the House and Senate.
“The scale of corporate spending in this election cycle is unlike anything we’ve seen previously,” said Rick Claypool, research director at Public Citizen.
Critics argue the spending risks amplifying the influence of a small group of niche interests and allowing issues like crypto and AI regulation, data-center energy demands and online gambling oversight to crowd out more pocketbook issues like high gas prices and healthcare. Supporters say it gives emerging sectors a voice other corporate interests have long enjoyed.
“When corporate money can inundate the political discourse, there’s less room for talk about what people really care about,” Claypool said. “Instead, you have the situation that we have in Congress now where they are spending an inordinate amount of time discussing the niche regulatory policy problems related to crypto while people really just want cheaper groceries.”
Still, there are limits to what money can do. Polls show a majority of Americans feel there is too much money in politics and progressive Democratic Senate candidates like James Talarico in Texas and Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan have successfully built campaigns on the argument that wealthy donors and companies exert too much influence in Washington.
NO LIMITS
Together, crypto, tech and online gaming industry donations accounted for at least $294 million of the corporate spending on midterm races from January 1, 2025 through the first quarter, Public Citizen found.
In an approach pioneered by the crypto industry in the last election cycle, these industries have structured their campaign giving through a vast network of so-called super PACs, affiliate PACs — which get their money from the super PACs — and dark money nonprofits, which do not have to disclose who their donors are. Companies and founders often donate across those networks, as well as directly to specific candidates.
The groups can take unlimited sums but cannot give directly to or coordinate with candidates. Instead, they can pay for advertising, organize voter drives and sponsor campaign rallies.
Executives running those companies have directly spent millions more, such as the
more than $90 million,
SpaceX founder Elon Musk has already put toward the 2026 federal elections — with plans to spend far more by November. Google co-founder Sergey Brin also spent over $106 million in California fighting a proposed wealth tax among other state issues, federal and state filings show. Brin and Musk did not return requests for comment.
Meta, which operates Facebook and Instagram, has donated $65 million to four different super PACs to spend backing candidates from both parties on state races in California, Texas, Illinois and elsewhere. The company declined to comment for this article.
Counting all political spending, including donations from billionaires like Musk, labor groups and social causes, a record $11.6 billion is expected to be spent on political ads for the midterms, breaking the 2023-2024 cycle’s previous record of $11.2 billion, according to political advertising research firm AdImpact.
POLITICAL DISRUPTORS
Crypto companies Coinbase and Ripple, along with investor Andreessen Horowitz, spent heavily in 2024 through their Fairshake super PAC to help unseat longtime incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown from his Senate seat in Ohio.
The crypto industry’s strategy was so effective that year that Public Citizen called its super PAC Fairshake a corporate Death Star that could “annihilate individual candidates.” Its playbook — which bucked tradition by refusing to align with solely one party — is being copied now by Big Tech, sports betting and other industries, Democratic and Republican strategists say.
Instead, the industry openly backed candidates that supported its policies — regardless of party — and spent millions to end the political careers of those who didn’t.
As then-chair of the Senate Banking Committee, Brown was one of the industry’s most vocal critics in Congress, but strategists say he’s been quiet on crypto as he seeks a return to the Senate, even conciliatory. Campaign manager Patrick Eisenhauer said in a statement to Reuters that Brown “recognizes that cryptocurrency is part of America’s economy” and is keeping an open mind.
Fairshake started the year with a $193 million war chest, and has about $130 million left to spend, filings show. It was financed almost entirely by Coinbase and Ripple as well as California venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.
That firm’s co-founders Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen have each donated about $4 million of their personal funds so far this election cycle, most of which went to U.S. President Donald Trump’s MAGA Inc. super PAC, while their investment firm has given more than $81 million to mostly crypto and AI PACs, according to federal election records analyzed by Reuters. At least $23.8 million of that went to Fairshake. The firm and its co-founders declined to comment through a spokesman.
Ripple declined to comment. Coinbase did not respond to a request for comment.
AI ENTERS THE RACE
AI barely registered in the 2024 elections, but has already made its presence felt this time around.
Political groups backed by AI companies OpenAI and Anthropic — which want different types of regulatory oversight — or their executives spent more than $23 million on two competing Democrats in a staunchly liberal New York City district in June alone, according to campaign finance records.
“It was basically two AI groups having it out with each other and the candidates were secondary,” said Brendan Glavin, director at nonpartisan campaign finance watchdog OpenSecrets.
AI super PAC Leading the Future has raised $140 million for the midterms, a person familiar with the group’s funding said, thanks in part to substantial donations from OpenAI co-founder and president Greg Brockman and his wife Anna, along with Andreessen Horowitz.
OpenAI and the Brockmans declined to comment. The company has
previously said,
it doesn’t finance or direct Leading the Future’s activities and that Brockman, his wife and other employees are free to donate in a personal capacity. The couple has also separately donated $25 million to MAGA Inc., filings show.
“We want to be explicit: No outside political group speaks for OpenAI or represents our company’s views,” the company said in June.
Anthropic has donated at least $40 million in this election cycle through a dark money nonprofit called Public First Action, which has raised $100 million so far, according to a spokesman who declined to disclose the other donors. About half of its funds go toward elections through two aligned PACs, he said.
The company, which referred questions for this article to the group, is also linked to a super PAC called Public First that has raised an additional $3.9 million, of which $1 million came from Anthropic co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei, federal filings show. Anthropic additionally runs a small traditional PAC called AnthroPAC that takes donations from employees and can directly give to campaigns.
The company has defended its donations to the nonprofit group, saying they are being used to educate the public on policies rather than to support or oppose specific candidates.
“They’ve emulated a lot of what crypto did in 2024,” Glavin said, of the AI industry’s efforts to back candidates seen as supportive while ignoring traditional party lines.
Online sports betting is also copying that playbook as it comes under increased scrutiny and regulatory pressure.
DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics and UK-based sportsbook bet365 have donated more than $72 million to the midterms so far, making the industry the third-largest corporate donor in this cycle, Public Citizen estimates. They are directing the bulk of the money through two affiliate PACs — American Conservative Fund and American Future — to state races where the industry faces the most regulation, filings show.
Prediction market Polymarket separately donated $1 million in June through its corporate parent Blockratize Inc. to a Republican super PAC called the Congressional Leadership Fund, which is backed by House Speaker Mike Johnson, filings show.
The betting platforms did not return requests for comment.
Campaign finance watchdogs say the amount of money pouring into this election cycle is staggering.
“One-third of the corporate money that’s been spent since 2010 has been spent in this election cycle and it’s not even over yet,” Claypool said. “The amount of corporate money that’s been poured into these elections is unprecedented.”
Reporting by Dawn Kopecki in New York, additional reporting by Bo Erickson in Washington, DC. Editing by David Gaffen and Deepa Babington
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