Elon Musk Becomes First Person to Hit $500bn Net Worth

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has achieved a historic milestone after his net worth surged past $500 billion, according to Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires Index.

This makes him the first individual in history to reach the half-trillion-dollar mark, widening the gap between himself and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, the world’s second-richest man, by nearly $150 billion.

Tesla’s Rally Fuels Surge

The jump in Musk’s fortune followed a 4% rise in Tesla shares on Wednesday, which added more than $9 billion to his wealth in a single day.

Tesla’s stock has nearly doubled since April, when Musk stepped back from his advisory role in President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency to refocus on the company.

The electric car giant’s market capitalisation is now within 10% of its all-time high. Musk’s 12% stake in Tesla alone is worth around $191 billion, excluding billions more tied to his disputed 2018 pay package, which could yield up to $133 billion if upheld in court.

Tesla’s board has also proposed a new trillion-dollar pay plan, potentially granting Musk stock worth as much as $1 trillion, depending on performance.

Wealth Beyond Tesla

Musk’s fortune is also spread across his other ventures:

• SpaceX – valued at $400 billion, with Musk’s 42% stake worth about $168 billion.

• xAI Holding – a merger of his AI startup xAI and social media platform X (formerly Twitter), valued at $60 billion, where Musk holds a 53% stake.