Every second that goes through the last 30 years comes in his pocket almost $1,000. Considering Elon Musk's fortune, the Wall Street Journal estimates that humanity welcomes the possibility of First trillionaire in the world.
Based on the average increase per second of Musk's net property during his career his property is currently about $970 billion.
Musk is 54 years old and co-founded the first of his many American technology and engineering companies in 1995, 31 years ago. To raise $970 billion in this time, it would have to accumulate an average of about $59,492 a minute or $3.6 million an hour.
In particular his fortune includes $538 billion for his share of SpaceX prior to IPO, $167 billion for his share of Tesla and some $150 billion in stock options to these companies, which he could exercise almost at any time, according to the Journal's analysis.
There is also $5 billion for each of the companies The Boring Company, which manufactures tunnels, and Neuralink, the brain implant company it founded, as well as $10 billion in real estate, aircraft and other investments and assets, as Altrata estimates, a wealth analysis company.
Compared to other technology moguls he is far at the top. Indicatively Larry Ellison's estate amounts to $243 billion and Jeff Bezu's $276 billion.
To acquire such property an American household with a median U.S. income ($83,730 in 2024) will need to work for more than 11 million years.
Musk, of course, is known for sleeping on factory floors and rarely taking a vacation.
What he can buy
With most of his property committed to his companies, he can borrow billions of dollars by pawning his participations in SpaceX and Tesla. Much of his wealth exists only on paper — This is not cash that can easily spend.
However, with this $970 billion he can buy 2.4 million American houses or even the 32 NFL teams, and all NBA teams, and spare over $500 billion.
Musk's net property exceeds the annual economic activity of more than 125 countries.
Richer than Rockefeller
The property he created alone, based on electric vehicles, missiles and his ambitions in artificial intelligence, today accounts for about 3% of American GDP. With this measure, he comfortably surpasses John D. Rockefeller, the richest American ever lived before Musk.
A century ago, Rockefeller exploited the wave of industrial development by building Standard Oil on a colossal, exerting influence on railways and pipelines. This monopoly was eventually split by the federal government.
Rockefeller raised property about $1.4 billion by 1937, amounting to about 1.5% of American GDP at that time.
