Elon Musk has reached a new milestone by becoming the first individual in history to achieve a net worth of $500 billion. Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires tracker confirmed the record Wednesday afternoon after Tesla stock gained nearly 4%, adding an estimated $9.3 billion to Musk’s net worth in a single day.
He now sits more than $150 billion ahead of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, whose net worth also stands at a very impressive $350 billion.
Tesla stock leads wealth surge
Musk’s fortune remains heavily tied to Tesla, which has rallied nearly 100% since April, when the CEO announced he would step back from outside roles to focus more on the EV maker. The company’s market capitalization is back within 10% of its all-time peak, lifting the value of Musk’s 12% stake to about $191 billion.
Beyond this, his 2018 compensation package, which was rescinded by a Delaware judge last year but is still under appeal, could unlock additional stock worth more than $130 billion if reinstated, Forbes noted. Investors see Musk’s refocused leadership as a stabilizing force for Tesla as it pursues ambitious global growth. Tesla has also proposed a new compensation plan for Musk that could bring the company’s market cap to $8.5 trillion and add an additional $900 billion to the CEO’s net worth.
SpaceX and xAI boost portfolio value
While Tesla drives much of his wealth, Musk’s stakes in SpaceX and xAI have added significant upside to his net worth. SpaceX, his private rocket company, recently hit a $400 billion valuation in a private tender offer, valuing Musk’s 42% stake at $168 billion. Meanwhile, xAI Holdings, which merged with social platform X earlier this year, is worth an estimated $113 billion, giving Musk another $60 billion on paper.
These ventures, combined with Tesla’s resurgence, have pushed Musk’s net worth past the half-trillion-dollar mark and highlighted his reach across multiple industries, from clean energy to space, artificial intelligence, brain implants, and tunneling.