Elon Musk has reached a new milestone in global wealth rankings. According to Forbes, his net worth briefly crossed the $500 billion mark this week. This development places him nearly halfway to becoming the world’s first trillionaire.
The 54-year-old Tesla and SpaceX chief saw his wealth touch $500.1 billion on Wednesday before it settled back at $499.1 billion. The rise followed a rebound in Tesla’s stock value, along with steady gains from his other ventures. Musk remains the richest person alive, well ahead of other billionaires.
Forbes’ “Real-Time Billionaires” tracker shows Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison in second place with a net worth of $350.7 billion. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is third with $245.8 billion. The gap highlights Musk’s dominance in the global rich list.
Musk’s journey to this position has been marked by several successful ventures. After studying at the University of Pennsylvania, he briefly attended Stanford University before leaving to pursue business opportunities. He made his first fortune in 1999, when his online publishing software company was sold to Compaq for more than $300 million.
He later co-founded X.com, which merged into PayPal, a move that further built his fortune. In 2002, Musk founded SpaceX, aiming to advance private space exploration. By 2004, he became chairman of Tesla, which has since become the world’s leading electric vehicle manufacturer.
This combination of technology, energy, and space ventures has made him one of the most influential entrepreneurs in history. His rise has also fueled public debate about extreme wealth and its role in shaping industries.
With his net worth approaching new levels, discussions about a possible “Elon Musk trillionaire” future are gaining momentum. While markets remain volatile, his position at the top of the billionaire rankings shows no sign of weakening.
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