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Elon Musk becomes the first person to reach a net worth of $400 billion

From SpaceX’s record valuation to Tesla’s stock rally, Elon Musk rides a wave of fortune linked to his controversial ties with President-elect Trump. Critics question if political influence is the new currency of billionaires
Elon Musk phone
Elon Musk phone

Elon Musk’s net worth has now hit $400 billion, according to Bloomberg, making him the first person ever to cross that mark.

Fueling his nearly $20 billion surge in wealth was a deal that significantly increased the valuation of Musk’s rocket company, SpaceX, to approximately $350 billion, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. SpaceX and its investors agreed to purchase up to $1.25 billion worth of insider shares.

Tesla CEO and Co-Founder, Elon Musk

Since the aftermath of the 2024 US presidential election, Musk has seen an enormous boost in his personal wealth.

An alliance with President-elect Donald Trump has pushed Musk’s ventures into the spotlight. Musk is the chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX, as well as the owner of X and the CEO of several other ventures, including Neuralink, xAI, and The Boring Company. Alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk is now set to oversee a new “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), named after a memecoin.

Elon Musk

Tesla shares closed at a record high on Wednesday, reaching $424.77 at market close. Musk, Tesla’s largest individual shareholder, has benefited immensely as the stock surged higher, partly driven by broader market performance — the NASDAQ topped 20,000 for the first time ever on Wednesday. Since Election Day, the electric vehicle maker’s stock has rallied approximately 65%, as investors anticipate that Musk’s influence within the Trump administration will lead to an era of deregulation that favours the company.

Meanwhile, Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, more than doubled its valuation in November following a new funding round, soaring to $50 billion from just a few months ago, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The world’s wealthiest man has become roughly $136 billion richer since November 5, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Elon Musk.

Although the top spots on the billionaire rankings often fluctuate, Musk is now far ahead of his peers. As of December 10, before his wealth surged to $400 billion, Musk was already $140 billion richer than the second-wealthiest person on Earth, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Musk’s record-breaking Tesla shareholder-approved pay package, previously valued at $101 billion, was rejected by a Delaware court last week.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk Elon Musk stands on the construction site of the Tesla factory in Grnheide near Berlin, May 17, 2021. He revealed in a tweet that he's now living in a rented house in Boca Chica, Texas, that costs $50,000.Christophe Gateau/picture a...

However, Bloomberg’s calculations appear to include the pay package, which is now worth up to $120 billion based on Tesla’s current share price.

Despite this, Musk continues to enjoy unprecedented riches, with numerous avenues available to significantly increase his wealth in the years to come.

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