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| Elon Musk reaches a historic $500 billion net worth. |
Elon Musk has become the first person in history to reach a net worth of 500 billion dollars. The Tesla and SpaceX chief saw his wealth hit this unprecedented level on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, according to the Forbes' Real-Time Billionaires tracker .
His net worth briefly reached $500.1 billion before settling just below that mark later in the day . This achievement solidifies his position as the wealthiest person on the planet, now standing approximately $150 billion ahead of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, the world's second-richest person .
The remarkable financial milestone comes after a strong rebound in Tesla's stock price and rising valuations for his other companies. Shares of the electric vehicle maker climbed nearly 4% on Wednesday alone, adding an estimated $9.3 billion to Musk's fortune in a single day . Tesla's stock has seen a significant recovery since April, nearly doubling in value as Musk refocused his attention on the company .
Musk's wealth has seen an extraordinary ascent over the past five years. In March 2020, his net worth stood at $24.6 billion . He then became the fifth person ever worth $100 billion in August 2020, hit $200 billion in September 2021, $300 billion in November 2021, and $400 billion in December 2024 . The jump from $400 billion to $500 billion took just ten months .
The billionaire's fortune is largely built on three main companies. His 12% stake in Tesla is now worth about $191 billion . His 42% ownership of rocket company SpaceX contributes an estimated $168 billion, with the private firm now valued at $400 billion . His majority stake in xAI Holdings, formed by merging his artificial intelligence company with social media platform X, is valued at approximately $60 billion .
Investors have responded positively to Musk's renewed focus on his companies after he stepped back from his role leading the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) . Tesla board chair Robyn Denholm said last month that Musk was now "front and centre" at the car company .
In September, Musk also bought about $1 billion worth of Tesla shares, marking his first open-market purchase of the stock since February 2020 and showing his confidence in the company's future . The purchase involved about 2.57 million shares .
Tesla's board has proposed a new record-breaking pay package for Musk that could be worth up to $1 trillion before taxes . The package would give Musk additional stock if Tesla achieves ambitious performance goals over the next ten years. These include growing its market value more than eightfold and selling millions of AI robots and electric vehicles .
Musk has stated that the proposed compensation is not about the money but about maintaining enough influence at Tesla to ensure safety as the company develops advanced robotics . He expressed concern about being potentially forced out by activist shareholder firms in the future .
Despite Tesla's recent stock gains, the company faces challenges including tough competition from rival electric car makers like China's BYD and pressure on profit margins . Tesla's stock performance remains among the weakest in the group of major tech companies known as the "Magnificent Seven" .
Musk briefly lost his title as world's richest person to Larry Ellison in September after Oracle shares surged more than 40% . Ellison's net worth now stands at about $350.7 billion, according to Forbes .
If Musk's wealth continues growing at its current pace, he could become the world's first trillionaire before March 2033 . That timeline aligns with the first vesting date for his proposed $1 trillion Tesla pay package .
The $500 billion net worth mark represents a level of wealth never before seen and highlights the growing value of technology and space exploration companies in the modern economy. With Musk's diverse holdings across electric vehicles, space technology, and artificial intelligence, his financial trajectory continues to break new ground .