Elon Musk Net Worth: How the Tech Visionary Built His Fortune

Elon Musk is a South African-born Canadian-American entrepreneur, inventor, and investor with a net worth of $750 billion. He is currently the richest person in the world and widely considered the wealthiest human being in history. His wealth comes from a combination of ambitious business ventures, strategic investments, and ownership stakes in companies that have transformed multiple industries, from electric cars to space travel.

In November 2021, Musk’s net worth briefly surpassed $340 billion, allowing him to overtake John D. Rockefeller as the richest person in modern history. From January 2021 to March 2024, Musk largely remained the richest person, until Jeff Bezos briefly reclaimed the top spot. Elon was the first individual in history to exceed $300 billion, $400 billion, $500 billion, and $600 billion in net worth. By December 2025, his net worth soared to $640 billion, largely due to Tesla reaching a $1.5 trillion market capitalization and SpaceX being valued at $800 billion after a funding round.

Musk’s career spans multiple industries, including online payments, electric vehicles, space exploration, artificial intelligence, and social media. He first became well-known in the late 1990s as a co-founder of Zip2, a software company that provided online business directories and maps for newspapers. After selling Zip2, he co-founded X.com, an online financial services company that later became PayPal. When eBay acquired PayPal in 2002, Musk received a substantial payout, which he reinvested into far larger projects that would define his career.

In 2004, Musk became the largest shareholder of Tesla, helping transform it from a small startup into the world’s most influential electric vehicle company. Under his leadership, Tesla expanded beyond cars into battery storage, solar energy, and large-scale manufacturing, reshaping the global automotive industry and speeding up the world’s transition from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles.

Musk also founded SpaceX, a space exploration company focused on making space travel more affordable and paving the way for human life beyond Earth. Despite early setbacks, SpaceX achieved groundbreaking milestones, including the first privately built orbital rocket, reusable boosters, and regular cargo and crew missions to the International Space Station. Its Starlink satellite network has brought Musk into the telecommunications industry, providing global internet coverage.

Beyond Tesla and SpaceX, Musk has created or led several other ventures. Neuralink develops brain-computer interfaces, while The Boring Company builds tunnels to reduce city traffic. Musk also bought Twitter, rebranding it as “X”, envisioning it as a broader communication and payment platform. Known for taking risks, having a unique management style, and maintaining a high public profile, Musk has repeatedly turned bold ideas into companies that reshape entire industries.

Key Facts About Elon Musk:

• Sold Zip2 to Compaq in 1999 for $340 million
• Invested part of that into X.com, which became PayPal
• PayPal was sold to eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion
• Owns 43% of SpaceX, valued at $180 billion
• Owns 21% of Tesla
• Increased net worth by $142 billion in 2020
• Has been “cash poor” despite massive net worth
• Sold $100 million in California real estate

Salary and Compensation

Elon Musk does not take a traditional salary as Tesla’s CEO. Instead, his income comes from high-risk performance-based compensation plans. In 2018, he agreed to a unique bonus plan tied to Tesla’s market capitalization and operational goals. At the time, Tesla was worth about $50 billion.

The plan promised Musk 1% of Tesla stock options for every $50 billion increase in market value, up to a cap of $600 billion. If he failed to hit any milestones over 10 years, he would earn nothing. Tesla crossed the $100 billion mark within a year and reached $600 billion in December 2020. Musk received about 300 million stock options, worth around $55 billion by January 2024. However, a Delaware court later voided the plan after a shareholder lawsuit claimed it was excessive.

In November 2025, Tesla shareholders approved a new 10-year “Mars-shot” plan, with even more ambitious goals. This deal links compensation to achieving $8.5 trillion market cap, deploying Optimus robots, and launching robotaxis at scale. If Musk meets these targets, he could become the world’s first trillionaire, while driving Tesla’s growth in AI and robotics.

Early Life

Elon Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa. He showed intelligence and curiosity early, buying his first computer at age ten and teaching himself to program. By 12, he sold his first software, a space-themed game called Blaster, for $500.

To avoid mandatory military service and seek better opportunities, Musk moved to Canada at age 17 in 1989 to attend Queen’s University. He transferred in 1992 to the University of Pennsylvania, earning dual degrees in economics and physics. Musk briefly enrolled at Stanford University for a PhD in energy physics but left after just two days, deciding to pursue business ventures during the growing internet boom.

Zip2

In 1995, Musk and his brother Kimbal started Zip2, an online city guide that provided business listings and maps for newspapers like The New York Times. The company was an early version of Google Maps combined with Yelp. In 1999, Compaq bought Zip2 for $307 million, with Musk netting about $22 million, which he reinvested into future ventures.

X.com and PayPal

Musk used his Zip2 earnings to co-found X.com in 1999, an online banking and payment service. X.com merged with Confinity, the company behind PayPal, and in 2001, the combined company was rebranded as PayPal. eBay acquired PayPal in 2002 for $1.5 billion in stock, giving Musk about $165 million as the largest shareholder.

SpaceX

In 2002, Musk founded Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) to reduce space travel costs and make life multiplanetary. Early on, the company faced near-bankruptcy after three failed launches of its Falcon 1 rocket. A successful fourth launch in 2008 secured a $1.6 billion NASA contract for ISS cargo transport. Since then, SpaceX has developed Falcon 9, the world’s first orbital-class reusable rocket, and is working on Starship for deep space travel.

Tesla

Musk joined Tesla Motors in 2004 as the lead investor and chairman, later becoming CEO in 2008. Tesla’s plan was to start with a luxury sports car (Roadster) to fund a high-end sedan (Model S), then produce an affordable mass-market car (Model 3). Despite production challenges, Tesla became the first company to mass-produce electric cars profitably. By June 2010, Tesla raised $226 million in its IPO. By 2021, Tesla’s market cap exceeded $1 trillion, surpassing the next nine largest automakers combined.

Other Ventures

• X (Twitter): Acquired in 2022 for $44 billion, rebranded as X
• The Boring Company: Founded in 2016 to build traffic-reducing tunnels
• Neuralink: Creates brain-computer interfaces
• xAI: Founded in 2023 to develop artificial intelligence and explore the universe

Personal Life

Musk has been married three times (twice to Talulah Riley) and has 10 children. He was married to Justine Wilson from 2000–2008, having five sons. He has also dated Amber Heard and Grimes, with whom he has two children, including X Æ A-Xii. Musk has reportedly had children with other partners, including a set of twins in 2021.

Real Estate

Musk previously owned $100 million in California real estate, including a 16,000-square-foot villa in Hillsborough on 50 acres, purchased for $23.36 million in 2017. In Southern California, he owned six homes in Bel-Air, ranging from 7,000 to 20,000 square feet, purchased between 2012 and 2016. In 2020, Musk announced he would sell nearly all his property, starting with the Bel-Air homes, which he sold to a single buyer in December 2020.

In Austin, Texas, Musk owns several connected homes worth about $35 million, including a 14,400-square-foot Tuscan-style mansion.

Elon Musk Net Worth Timeline

• Jan 1, 2020: $28 billion
• Jul 13, 2020: $80 billion (Tesla $65B, SpaceX $15B)
• Aug 2020: $90B after Tesla stock surge and SpaceX valuation
• Nov 17, 2020: $100B, became third-richest
• Nov 24, 2020: $128B, became second-richest
• Jan 7, 2021: $195B, surpassed Bezos to become richest
• Oct 2021: $300B (Tesla $1T, SpaceX $100B)
• Nov 1, 2021: $335B (Tesla $1.2T market cap)
• Dec 13, 2022: $165B, lost richest title to Bernard Arnault
• End 2022: $134B
• End 2023: $210B
• Nov 2024: $348B
• Dec 2025: $640B

Conclusion

Elon Musk is one of the most influential entrepreneurs in history. From his early tech startups to SpaceX, Tesla, and other ventures, he has repeatedly transformed entire industries. His wealth, estimated at $750 billion, reflects his ability to take risks, innovate, and lead some of the most ambitious projects in the world. Musk continues to push boundaries in electric vehicles, space exploration, AI, and infrastructure, ensuring his name will remain central in technology and business for years to come.