Elon Musk Becomes First Person in History to Reach $500 Billion Net Worth
Public Domain
Elon Musk has officially broken the half-trillion mark, becoming the first person ever to amass a net worth of $500 billion, according to Unilad’s report. The milestone comes amid sharp gains in Tesla’s stock and surging valuations for his other ventures like SpaceX and xAI.
Though Forbes’ real-time billionaire tracker currently places him at about $499.1 billion, the breakthrough is symbolic: it caps off months of dramatic wealth growth, and positions Musk well ahead of rivals like Larry Ellison.
What Drove the Surge
Most of Musk’s wealth is tied to his 12% stake in Tesla, which has enjoyed a sustained rally in 2025. His holdings in SpaceX, where he owns approximately 42 %, and his ownership in xAI also heavily contribute to the total valuation.
The timing is notable—his fortune rose by around $10 billion in a short span recently, as Tesla shares surged and investor sentiment strengthened.
The Richest, Again
With this figure, Musk now stands roughly $150 billion ahead of Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, who has been snapping at the top spot. Ellison briefly overtook Musk last month in some indexes, but the $500 billion marker has reasserted Musk’s position.
Still, differences in valuation methodology (Forbes vs Bloomberg) introduce slight variation: while Forbes marks him at about $500B, Bloomberg estimates his worth closer to $470B.
Risks, Critiques & Context
- Volatility dependence: Because most of Musk’s wealth is equity-based, the $500 billion number can change rapidly with market swings.
- Concentration of assets: A significant proportion of his wealth is tied to a few companies, making it vulnerable to sector downturns.
- Illiquid assets: Some holdings (especially in private ventures) aren’t as easily converted to cash.
- Public scrutiny: Reaching this level intensifies scrutiny over wealth inequality, tax policy, governance of private companies, and social responsibility.
Why It Matters
Achieving $500 billion isn’t just a headline—it’s a cultural and financial landmark. Musk now stands as an outlier even among centibillionaires, a rarity among rare. This milestone cements the scale of how tech, equity, and visionary bets can accumulate in modern capitalism.
As he pushes futuristic projects—AI, Mars, neural tech—this net worth milestone underscores that the financial backing for those dreams is more potent than ever.
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