Elon Musk Briefly Hits $500 Billion Net Worth, Halfway to Trillionaire Status

Elon Musk Briefly Reaches $500 Billion Net Worth, a Historic Milestone

On Wednesday, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, briefly became the first person in history to reach a net worth of over $500 billion, according to Forbes. This milestone highlights the volatile nature of global markets and the significant gains made by tech moguls in 2025.

Tesla's Resurgent Stock and Investor Confidence

Musk's wealth surged to $500.1 billion, driven by a rebound in Tesla shares and rising valuations of his other ventures. Tesla's stock has risen over 14% this year. This increase reflects renewed investor confidence as Musk refocused on his companies following a period of political involvement.

• Tesla's shares closed 3.3% higher on Wednesday, adding over $6 billion to Musk’s net worth.
• Robyn Denholm, Tesla's board chair, affirmed that Musk is back "front and center" at the company.
• Musk demonstrated his commitment by purchasing approximately $1 billion worth of Tesla shares.

Valuation of Musk's Other Companies

The valuations of Musk’s other companies, including his AI startup xAI and rocket company SpaceX, have also contributed to his soaring wealth. These ventures have solidified his position as the world’s richest person.

• xAI was valued at $75 billion as of July 2025.
• SpaceX is considering a funding round that could value the company at approximately $400 billion.

Comparison with Other Billionaires

Following Musk, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison is ranked as the world's second-richest person. He has a net worth of about $350.7 billion. The gains in Ellison's wealth are attributed to Oracle's rosy outlook for its cloud infrastructure business and AI deals.

Challenges and Future Prospects

Despite this milestone, Tesla continues to face challenges, including competition from electric car makers like China's BYD and pressure on profit margins. The company is also in the process of transitioning into an AI and robotics business. To incentivize Musk, the Tesla board proposed a $1 trillion compensation plan tied to ambitious financial and operational targets.