Elon Musk is currently the richest man on earth and this year he might even become the world’s first trillionaire. According to the Forbes Billionaires List, at this moment the xAI CEO has a total net worth of $849.3 billion, putting him far ahead of every other billionaire on the planet. While we know his money comes from the many companies he has built, acquired and backed, including SpaceX, Tesla and others, if Musk is to be believed, most of his wealth isn’t sitting in a bank account. In fact, very little of it is actually cash.
In a recent post on X, Musk addressed speculation around his money and revealed that most of his net worth is almost entirely due to his ownership stakes in Tesla and SpaceX. “My ‘net worth’ is almost entirely due to my ownership stakes in Tesla and SpaceX. I have
Meanwhile Musk also pushed back on the idea that his growing wealth benefits only him. In the same post, he pointed out that Tesla and SpaceX employees receive stock and stock options. “Tesla and SpaceX employees all receive stock/options and Tesla is 80% owned by retail investors and index/pension funds, so value increases apply 80% to them,” he added.
Musk closer to becoming a trillionaire, thanks to SpaceX-xAI deal
Interestingly, Musk’s journey towards the trillionaire mark is all thanks to the recent SpaceX-xAI deal. His net worth recently jumped to a record $852 billion after SpaceX acquired xAI in a deal that valued the combined company at $1.25 trillion, according to Forbes. The transaction alone reportedly boosted his fortune by around $84 billion.
How much money does Elon Musk own?
For Musk, SpaceX is now his most valuable asset by far. After the merger, he owns an estimated 43 per cent stake in the combined SpaceX-xAI entity, which is estimated to be worth more than $540 billion. On top of that, he holds roughly 12 per cent of Tesla, valued at about $178 billion, along with Tesla stock options worth another $124 billion.
And that’s not even counting his massive performance-based Tesla pay package, which could unlock even more stock in the future if ambitious long-term targets are met.
Put simply, Musk’s wealth is reportedly largely “paper wealth”, tied to company valuations and stock prices. If Tesla or SpaceX shares rise, his net worth climbs. If they fall, it can shrink just as quickly. But in terms of liquid cash, he says it’s less than 0.1 per cent of his total fortune.
What could make him a trillionaire?
It is being predicted that if Tesla’s stock continues to rise and SpaceX moves closer to a potential IPO, his net worth could spike even further. According to market predictions, Musk could become the world’s first trillionaire by the end of this year.
