Breaking the $600 Billion Barrier
Here's a number that didn't exist until now: $677 billion. That's Elon Musk's net worth as of Monday, according to Forbes, making him the first human being to ever crack the $600 billion threshold. For context, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO is now worth more than twice the fortune of Larry Page, Google's co-founder, who sits at number two on the Forbes list with a comparatively modest $253.3 billion.
Just a few months ago, Musk hit the $500 billion milestone, becoming the first person to reach that mark too. Now he's zoomed past it, thanks largely to SpaceX's eye-popping valuation surge. The privately held space transportation company launched a tender offer earlier this month that values it at $800 billion, double its $400 billion valuation from July. That move alone added $168 billion to Musk's net worth.
The SpaceX IPO Path
SpaceX, where Musk holds an estimated 42% stake as the single-largest shareholder, is taking deliberate steps toward going public. The tender offer allows early investors and employees to cash out portions of their holdings, a common pre-IPO move that provides liquidity while the company remains private.
The planned 2026 public offering could be historic. If SpaceX hits its projected $1.5 trillion valuation at debut, it would be the largest IPO in market history. And it would push Musk across another threshold that's never been reached: becoming the world's first trillionaire.
The Tesla Wildcard
Even if we set SpaceX aside for a moment, Musk has another potential path to a trillion-dollar fortune through Tesla Inc. (TSLA). Last month, shareholders approved what's arguably the most audacious executive compensation package in corporate history.
The plan consists of 12 tranches of restricted stock that vest as Tesla hits increasingly ambitious targets. We're not talking about modest goals here. The milestones start at a $2 trillion valuation and scale all the way up to $8.5 trillion, which would represent a roughly 455% increase from Tesla's current market cap of $1.53 trillion.
If Musk manages to guide Tesla to those heights, the compensation package alone could deliver a windfall approaching $1 trillion. That's separate from his existing Tesla holdings and his SpaceX stake.
Market Performance
Tesla shares gained 3.56% on Monday, closing at $475.31. In pre-market trading, the stock was down 1%. The electric vehicle giant scores high on momentum and quality metrics, with favorable price trends across short, medium, and long-term timeframes.
Whether Musk actually becomes a trillionaire depends on multiple variables: SpaceX's IPO execution, Tesla's ability to hit those stratospheric valuation targets, and the broader market environment. But the pieces are certainly in place for what would be an unprecedented accumulation of wealth in a single individual's hands.