Elon Musk has achieved a historic financial milestone, becoming the first person to reach a net worth of over $700 billion. This surge in wealth places him far ahead of other billionaires, exceeding the combined wealth of the next three richest individuals. According to Forbes, Musk's fortune reached approximately $749 billion following a court ruling in Delaware that reinstated a substantial stock-based pay package.
The Delaware Supreme Court's decision on Friday, December 20, 2025, overturned a previous ruling that had voided Tesla stock options worth around $139 billion. This reversal resulted in Forbes removing a discount applied to the value of these stock options, subsequently boosting Musk's estimated net worth by $69.5 billion. The contested stock options originated from Musk's 2018 compensation deal with Tesla, initially valued at $56 billion, which a lower court had deemed unfair due to Musk's influence over Tesla's board. The Supreme Court, however, determined that rescinding the options was not the appropriate remedy.
Musk's wealth now surpasses that of Larry Page, the co-founder of Google and the world's second-richest person, by a significant margin. As of December 2, 2025, Larry Page's net worth was estimated at $450 billion. Other billionaires with notable net worths include Larry Ellison, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg.
The surge in Musk's wealth is attributed to several factors, including rising investor optimism regarding Tesla's long-term prospects, the valuation of SpaceX, and excitement surrounding artificial intelligence technologies. In November 2025, Tesla shareholders approved another pay package for Musk potentially valued at $1 trillion, contingent upon achieving ambitious performance milestones, such as significantly increasing Tesla's market capitalization over the next decade.
Musk's major holdings include a 13% stake in Tesla, valued at $178 billion, and a 42% stake in SpaceX, estimated at $136 billion. He also possesses other assets, including The Boring Company, Neuralink, and XAI.
Musk's journey to becoming the world's wealthiest individual has been marked by rapid growth in recent years. His net worth has increased significantly since 2020, driven by the success of Tesla and SpaceX. With his current trajectory, Musk is potentially on track to become the world's first trillionaire.
The concentration of wealth among the top billionaires has drawn attention, with the combined wealth of the world's 10 richest individuals exceeding $2.5 trillion. The majority of these billionaires are from the United States and have made their fortunes in the technology sector.
