Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has reached an unprecedented milestone, with his fortune surging to $500 billion, according to Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires Index.
This makes Musk the first individual in history to hit the half-trillion-dollar mark, extending his lead over Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, the world’s second-richest man, by nearly $150 billion.
The sharp boost came after Tesla shares jumped 4% on Wednesday, adding more than $9 billion to Musk’s wealth in a single day. Tesla’s stock has almost doubled since April, when Musk stepped back from his role in President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency to refocus on the company.
Tesla’s market capitalization now sits within 10% of its all-time high, with Musk’s 12% stake valued at about $191 billion. This figure excludes billions in stock options linked to his 2018 compensation plan—currently under legal appeal—which could be worth up to $133 billion if he wins. The Tesla board has also proposed a new pay package that could eventually hand Musk stock worth as much as $1 trillion, depending on performance.
Beyond Tesla, Musk’s fortune is spread across his other ventures:
- SpaceX, valued at $400 billion in a private August tender, where Musk holds a 42% stake worth $168 billion.
- xAI Holding, created through the merger of his AI startup xAI and social media platform X (formerly Twitter), valued around $60 billion, where Musk owns a 53% stake.
With this milestone, Musk’s wealth now towers over all rivals, cementing his status as the first half-trillionaire in history.
