Elon Musk's stratospheric rise to trillionaire status - in charts
The BBC breaks down how the tech mogul's fortune has grown.
Coverage by Political Leaning
See how different sides of the spectrum reported this story
Notable Quotes
"less than '0.1%' of his net worth was held in cash."
— Elon Musk , Executive
"Elon Musk’s ascent to a $1 trillion fortune represents a milestone once considered unimaginable, highlighting how rapidly wealth can be created in an increasingly interconnected and technology-driven world."
— Matt Durot , Other
"No other media brand combines the same depth of historical wealth data, editorial credibility, and global reach, making Forbes the most trusted source for understanding who holds the world’s wealth, how it was created, and how it continues to shape the global economy."
— Randall Lane , Other
"If you look at a graph, it looks like a hockey stick. It’s only in 2020 that his personal net worth truly went bonkers."
— Quinn Slobodian , Academic
"The real question is how people come to believe that the future is so, so bright that those losses will not just turn into profits, but will turn into really massive profits."
— Mihir Desai , Academic
"Musk has shattered global financial history as the world’s first trillionaire."
— Elon Musk , Executive
Key People
Aristotle Onassis was a Greek shipping magnate known for his wealth and the high-profile marriage to Jacqueline Kennedy.
Bernard Arnault is the CEO of LVMH, leading the luxury goods sector.
Bill Gates is the co-founder of Microsoft and philanthropist through the Gates Foundation.
Daniel Ludwig was an American shipping magnate recognized as the richest person in the United States in 1982.
Former president of the United States known for his aggressive economic policies.
Dr. Dre is a renowned rapper, music producer, and entrepreneur influential in the hip-hop music industry.
Elon Musk is the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla.
Howard Hughes was an American business magnate, investor, and aviator known for his eccentricities and achievements in aviation.
Jeff Bezos is the founder of Amazon and a prominent figure in the technology sector.
John D. Rockefeller was an American business magnate and philanthropist, known as the founder of the Standard Oil Company.
J. Paul Getty was a prominent American oil tycoon and founder of the Getty Oil Company.
Kimbal Musk is an entrepreneur and brother of Elon Musk, involved with Tesla and other ventures.
Larry Ellison is the co-founder and Chairman of Oracle Corporation.
Larry Page is one of the co-founders of Google and a key figure in the tech industry.
Luisa Kroll is the Executive Editor at Forbes.
Mark Cuban is a billionaire entrepreneur and owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.
Mark Zuckerberg is the founder of Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook.
Matt Durot is the Deputy Editor of Wealth at Forbes.
Mihir Desai is a professor at Harvard Business School.
Quinn Slobodian is a history professor at Boston University.
Randall Lane is the Chief Content Officer at Forbes.
Sergey Brin is a co-founder of Google and a key figure in the company's AI initiatives.
Taylor Swift is a highly acclaimed singer-songwriter.
Tom Mueller was the first employee at SpaceX, a company he co-founded with Elon Musk in 2002.
Xi Jinping is the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of China.
Locations
Tags
All Coverage
The BBC breaks down how the tech mogul's fortune has grown.
Elon Musk's net worth has surged to an estimated $839 billion, making him more than three times richer than the second wealthiest person, Google cofounder Larry Page, who is worth an estimated $257 billion.
Elon Musk's net worth was valued at $726.3 billion as trading closed on December 31, 2025, surpassing the combined value of some of the world's largest economies and companies.
On Friday, Forbes declared Elon Musk as the world’s first trillionaire, as SpaceX’s stock began trading on the Nasdaq at $150 per share, giving the company a nearly $2 trillion market cap. Forbes estimates that the IPO has boosted Musk’s fortune to $1.1 trillion, as of Friday morning.
An analysis of Elon Musk's earnings from SpaceX's IPO, which propelled him to become the world's first trillionaire.
An exploration of the real-world implications of Elon Musk's $1 trillion net worth following SpaceX's IPO.
Profile of Elon Musk, highlighting his status as the world's first trillionaire as of June 14, 2026.
A perspective on the magnitude of Elon Musk's $1 trillion net worth, comparing it to various economic measures.
An exploration of the historical context leading to Elon Musk becoming the world's first trillionaire.
An overview of Elon Musk's journey to becoming the world's first trillionaire following SpaceX's IPO.
Elon Musk's net worth reached $800 billion after SpaceX acquired his artificial intelligence and social media company xAI, valuing the combined company at $1.25 trillion.
Details on how SpaceX's IPO propelled Elon Musk's net worth to $1.1 trillion, marking him as the world's first trillionaire.
Similar Stories
Related coverage based on topic and tags
Elon Musk becomes world's first trillionaire as SpaceX soars in stock market debut
Musk is now worth $1.11tn according to the Bloomberg rich list, while SpaceX listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange with a value of $2.2tn.
June 12, 2026 at 10:00 PMWho is Elon Musk and what is his net worth?
The boss of X, Tesla and SpaceX is the world's richest person and has used his platform to make his views known on a vast array of topics.
June 4, 2026 at 10:25 AMMusk's SpaceX overtakes Amazon to become world's fifth most valuable firm
Elon Musk's rocket firm has overtaken the retail and media empire in value after a surge in its share price.
June 16, 2026 at 04:38 PMElon Musk gets public trading of SpaceX under way from Texas
SpaceX founder Elon Musk said he gave the company "less than a 10% chance of succeeding at all" when it first started, and it is now going public "with the largest IPO ever".
June 12, 2026 at 03:56 PM'I was employee number one at SpaceX'
The BBC's Michelle Fleury spoke to Tom Mueller, who was one of the company's founders alongside Elon Musk in 2002.
June 12, 2026 at 09:59 AMWatch: Three things to know about SpaceX's stock market debut
The BBC's Samira Hussain explains everything you need to know about SpaceX's historic IPO.
June 12, 2026 at 08:39 AM