According to Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires tracker, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is now the first person in history to have a personal fortune of $500.1 billion. He is now the richest person in the world and the first to reach the $500 billion threshold.
Musk broke records last December when he went over $400 billion. He is now worth more than $150 billion more than Larry Ellison, who is in second place. This puts him on course to become the world’s first trillionaire.
As of September 15, Musk still owns 12.4% of Tesla, which is a big part of his wealth. Shares of the electric car producer have gone up more than 14% this year, and a 3.3% surge on Wednesday alone added over $6 billion to Musk’s net worth.
But Tesla isn’t the only thing that makes Musk rich. His AI company, xAI, which is worth $75 billion right now, and SpaceX, which just talked about raising money at a value of about $400 billion, have both made him a lot of money.
Tesla’s stock fell at the beginning of 2025, but it bounced back as investors became more confident and Musk turned his attention back to the company. Robyn Denholm, chair of Tesla’s board, said last month that Musk was “front and center” again after his short time in Washington as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under President Donald Trump.
Musk also bought $1 billion worth of Tesla shares with his own money, which is a strong sign that he believes in the company’s ability to change from an automaker to a leader in AI and robotics.
Tesla’s board recently suggested a $1 trillion pay plan for Musk, which has added to the excitement. The proposal sets high financial and operational goals while also meeting Musk’s need for a bigger ownership in the company.
Elon Musk’s money is clearly on the way to becoming a trillionaire, thanks to Tesla’s consistent growth, SpaceX’s development, and xAI’s quick increase. This would be a historic achievement.