Musk becomes the first billionaire worth over $500 billion! Tesla, SpaceX and xAI three-engine resonance
Tesla founder Musk’s net worth has exceeded US$500 billion for the first time, and his wealth has soared thanks to Tesla, SpaceX and xAI.
(Preliminary information: Musk xAI enters the U.S. government! Federal agencies will integrate Grok, and the annual fee of US$0.42 is half of OpenAI’s asking price)
(Background supplement: Is it unexpected? Musk spent US$1 billion to buy Tesla shares, just one of the scenarios in 2025)
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Gen Forbes reported today (2nd) that Musk’s net worth officially exceeded 5,000 billion, setting a new high in human wealth. This milestone not only refreshes personal records, but also once again reflects the resonance of the technology industry and the capital market.
Five-year wealth curve: from 24.6 billion to 500 billion
According to Forbes, Musk was worth only US$24.6 billion in March 2020; after reaching US$100 billion in August of the same year, the growth rate entered an acceleration phase. In January 2021, he became the world's richest man for the first time, surpassing US$200 billion in September, US$300 billion in November, and US$400 billion in December 2024.
The latest jump came from a nearly 4% rise in Tesla’s stock price on Wednesday, adding about $9.3 billion to it in a single day.
Tesla, SpaceX, xAI: Three engines support a net worth of 500 billion
Tesla:Musk left his position at the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in April this year and returned his focus to Tesla. Since then, Tesla’s stock price has almost doubled, and its market value has returned to the 90% range of its historical high. He holds about 12% of the shares and has a market capitalization of about $191 billion.
SpaceX: SpaceX, founded in 2002, completed a private bidding process in August this year with a valuation of $400 billion, up from $350 billion at the end of last year. Musk holds about 42%, corresponding to $168 billion. Behind the increase in valuation is strong demand from Starlink commercial users and government contracts.
xAI Holdings: In March this year, Musk merged the newly established xAI with the social platform X acquired in 2022, valuing the new company at US$113 billion. He holds about 53% of the shares, worth about $60 billion, further consolidating his layout in artificial intelligence and social media.
| Entity | Valuation (billion US dollars) | Shareholding ratio | Corresponding shareholding (Billions of U.S. dollars) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla | ~1,500 | 12.8% | ~191 | tr>
| SpaceX | ~400 | ~42% | ~168 |
| xAI Holdings | 113 | 53% | ~60 |
Towards a trillion dollars: two timetables and risk coordinates
Can Musk become the world's first trillionaire in the future? According to Time Magazine, if the compound annual growth rate of about 110% since 2020 continues, he may reach the target as early as 2027; the more conservative scenario falls between 2033 and 2035, which is in sync with Tesla's long-term goal of the new salary plan.
The conditions include: Tesla’s market value reaches US$8.5 trillion, annual vehicle delivery of 20 million vehicles, self-driving taxis reaching 1 million units, and humanoid robot shipments of 1 million units.
However, risks include wage litigation on appeal, market sentiment cycles, and technical implementation challenges. If autonomous driving or humanoid robots do not progress as expected, valuations may fall back; if the Delaware Supreme Court eventually overturns the new salary case, his control over Tesla and the size of his rewards may also shrink.
Looking at the above three major businesses, Musk is accelerating simultaneously in the three tracks of electric vehicles, space and AI, moving "Trillion Dollar Value" from a concept to a calculable blueprint. In the next ten years, whether he can maintain a balance between risk and execution will determine whether the trillion-dollar milestone is expected to be achieved.