Elon Musk has once again rewritten the record books of global wealth. On Wednesday, the billionaire entrepreneur became the first person in history to cross the half-trillion-dollar threshold in personal fortune, reaching a net worth of $500.1 billion, according to Forbes’ real-time billionaires index.
The landmark moment, recorded at 4:15 p.m. ET, reflects a year of remarkable recovery for Musk’s companies, led by a rebound in Tesla’s stock and booming valuations of his other ventures, SpaceX and xAI. Musk, who has long dominated the top of global rich lists, is now over $150 billion ahead of his nearest rival, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, whose fortune stands at an estimated $350.7 billion.
Tesla’s Rebound Powers Musk’s Fortune
Musk’s wealth is most closely tied to Tesla, the electric vehicle maker that remains his flagship company. As of September 15, Musk held a 12.4% stake in Tesla, making his personal finances highly sensitive to the company’s share price. After a shaky start to 2025 marked by weak sales and investor concerns, Tesla stock has staged a comeback, rising more than 14% this year. On Wednesday alone, shares jumped 3.3%, adding over $6 billion to Musk’s net worth in a single day.
Tesla’s turnaround has coincided with Musk’s renewed focus on the company. Tesla board chair Robyn Denholm recently said Musk was back “front and center” at the automaker after months spent balancing duties at the White House and his other businesses. In a further show of commitment, Musk disclosed in September that he had personally purchased around $1 billion worth of Tesla shares. Analysts described the move as a “massive vote of confidence” in Tesla’s long-term strategy as it transitions from being primarily an automaker to positioning itself as a leader in artificial intelligence and robotics.
Despite the rebound, Tesla still faces headwinds. The company has struggled with declining car sales, rising competition in the EV market, and persistent margin pressures. These challenges have made Tesla one of the weaker performers among the so-called “Magnificent Seven” — the elite group of mega-cap U.S. tech stocks that include Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Nvidia.
Adding to the intrigue, Tesla’s board last month proposed a controversial $1 trillion compensation plan for Musk. The package, which ties Musk’s pay to ambitious financial and operational targets, is seen as both a bid to retain his full attention at Tesla and to satisfy his push for a larger stake in the company.
SpaceX and xAI Add Billions
While Tesla remains the bedrock of Musk’s fortune, his other ventures have become increasingly powerful wealth drivers. SpaceX, the private space exploration company Musk founded in 2002, has continued to grow rapidly. In July, Bloomberg reported that the company was exploring a potential fundraising round and sale of insider shares that would value SpaceX at about $400 billion. The firm’s dominance in satellite launches, particularly through its Starlink internet service, has made it one of the most valuable private companies in the world.
Meanwhile, Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI has emerged as another financial juggernaut. According to data provider PitchBook, xAI was valued at $75 billion in July. Reports suggested the company could seek a valuation of as much as $200 billion if it pursues further fundraising, although Musk has publicly denied immediate plans to raise capital. The startup, which aims to build AI systems to rival those of OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind, has already drawn intense investor interest.
Together, the surging valuations of SpaceX and xAI have helped supercharge Musk’s personal wealth beyond anything seen before.
Global Rich List Shuffle
Musk’s leap to the $500 billion mark has widened the gap between him and other global billionaires. Larry Ellison, who has seen his wealth climb due to Oracle’s success in cloud computing and AI infrastructure, remains in second place with a net worth of $350.7 billion. Other familiar names on the Forbes billionaires list, such as Jeff Bezos, Bernard Arnault, and Mark Zuckerberg, now trail significantly behind Musk.
Forbes noted that Musk’s wealth is not only unprecedented in scale but also volatile, given its heavy reliance on publicly traded shares. Tesla’s share price swings can add or erase billions from Musk’s fortune within hours, a dynamic that has defined his presence at the top of global wealth rankings.
Musk’s Broader Influence
Beyond the numbers, Musk’s growing wealth underscores his influence across multiple industries — from electric vehicles and space exploration to artificial intelligence and digital communications. Tesla continues to push forward with autonomous driving technology and robotics. SpaceX is expanding Starlink and working on the next phase of its Starship program, aimed at human missions to Mars. At the same time, xAI is positioning itself as a major player in the increasingly competitive AI race.
Critics, however, caution that Musk’s empire faces significant risks. Tesla’s slowing sales growth, geopolitical tensions affecting SpaceX’s global business, and the ethical questions surrounding AI development all pose challenges to sustaining his record-breaking fortune. Nonetheless, Musk’s track record of disrupting industries has so far convinced investors to bet heavily on his vision.
As of now, Elon Musk’s half-trillion-dollar fortune represents not only a milestone for an individual but also a reflection of the immense value being created at the intersection of technology, energy, and space exploration. Whether his wealth can continue to climb — or withstand the volatility of his ventures — remains to be seen. But for now, Musk stands alone at the summit of global wealth, in a league no one else has ever reached.
