Key Takeaways
- SpaceX’s reported pursuit of a $1.5 trillion valuation in an IPO next year would add hundreds of billions of dollars to Elon Musk’s wealth.
- Between his recently approved pay package at Tesla, his existing shares of the auto-turned-robotics company, and his other private companies, Musk’s wealth would rival some countries’ annual economic output.
Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, is well on his way to becoming a trillionaire.
Musk’s private space exploration company, SpaceX could hand him that superlative as soon as next year—when it will reportedly list on public exchanges, targeting a market valuation of $1.5 trillion. A massive SpaceX initial public offering alone could double his net worth, push him into 13-digit territory.
But wait, as they say: There’s more. Counting Musk’s shares in that startup, tunnel-building firm The Boring Company, brain-mapping startup Neuralink, xAI—and Tesla (TSLA), which recently approved a new pay package for theC—the entrepreneur’s estimated future net worth could swell to a level comparable to some countries’ annual economic outputs.
Musk has denied recent reports that SpaceX was raising money at an $800 billion valuation, but he also appeared to confirm the company’s IPO plans in a response last week to a social media post on X. (The $800 billion appears instead to refer to the valuation at which the company recently said it would buy back some investors’ shares.)
WHY THIS MATTERS TO YOU
Musk has said that his personal wealth is less important to him than his influence, the latter of which is poised to grow as his futuristic businesses fetch growing valuations in both public and private markets.
A basic calculation would put Musk’s SpaceX stake at around 40%. That would mean his SpaceX shares could be worth more than $330 billion today—and some $625 billion assuming a market valuation of $1.5 trillion for the company in 2026.
Add that $330 billion figure to the value of his current Tesla holdings—the company’s stock touched a record high on Tuesday—and that brings you to roughly $600 billion now, and about $900 billion should SpaceX command the public valuation currently anticipated. (Both the Bloomberg and Forbes‘ billionaires lists now have Musk clear of $600 billion.)
And if Musk achieves all the milestone-linked awards tied to his Tesla compensation package, and drives the auto-turned-robotics company’s market capitalization to $8.5 trillion, his implied net worth would rise even further, exceeding that of most countries’ current annual gross domestic product as estimated by the International Monetary Fund.
Musk’s cup would run over even if his other private startups’ valuations don’t change. He reportedly owns a third of artificial intelligence company xAI, which includes social media company X; it was valued at around $230 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. While details of his stakes in The Boring Company and Neuralink couldn’t easily be determined, the companies were recently valued at over $5 billion and $9 billion, respectively.
Tesla, SpaceX, x.AI, and Musk did not respond directly to Investopedia’s emailed queries. But for Musk, a trillion-dollar title seems very much in view.
