Elon Musk has become the world’s first trillionaire, cementing his status as the most valuable and polarising figure in modern business, after a blockbuster IPO from SpaceX amplified the value of his sprawling corporate empire.
According to Reuters, the milestone comes after SpaceX raised a record US$75 billion in its IPO, reinforcing investor appetite for Musk’s long-term bets on space, satellites and artificial intelligence (AI).
Combined with his holdings in Tesla and other ventures, Musk’s net worth is projected to exceed US$1.1 trillion once trading begins, according to estimates based on company filings.
Most of Musk’s wealth is tied to SpaceX, where his stake alone is valued at roughly US$866 billion, underscoring the scale of investor confidence in the privately held rocket and satellite company.
Prior to the IPO, Forbes estimated his fortune at about US$780 billion, already far ahead of any global peer.
The 54-year-old entrepreneur, who also leads Tesla, has become deeply embedded in global business culture, with supporters crediting him for reshaping the electric vehicle and space industries, while critics raise concerns over his growing political influence and governance risks across his companies.
Musk’s rise has been driven by a string of high-profile ventures, from Tesla’s transformation into the world’s most valuable automaker to his 2022 acquisition of social media platform Twitter, now rebranded as X, which expanded his reach across hundreds of millions of users.
Despite criticism over governance and his unconventional leadership style, investors continue to reward Musk’s companies with premium valuations, betting that his ambitions in AI, mobility and space will deliver another wave of disruptive growth.
