Tesla CEO Elon Musk is pictured during a visit at the company's electric car plant in Gruenheide near Berlin, eastern Germany, on Mar. 13, 2024. AFP-Yonhap
NEW YORK — Elon Musk's estimated $839 billion net worth has made him the wealthiest individual ever recorded, Forbes said Tuesday, as billionaires worldwide saw their combined fortunes surge in the past year to an all-time high of $20.1 trillion.
Musk topped the Forbes World's Billionaires list for the second consecutive year after his fortune swelled by roughly $500 billion over the past twelve months, driven by rising valuations at Tesla and SpaceX, which is targeting a public offering in 2026.
He is the first person ever to surpass the $800 billion mark and is on course to become the world's first trillionaire.
Musk's monumental jump in wealth reflects a rollercoaster 2025 for Tesla that saw the electric vehicle maker's stock price tumble through the spring amid consumer boycotts over the billionaire's backing of Donald Trump and other far-right politicians.
But Tesla shares rebounded in the second half of 2025 after Musk exited his Trump administration role and have remained lofty. The Forbes list is based on valuations as of March 1, 2026.
Tesla champions believe the company is poised for stratospheric growth because of Musk's access to cutting-edge technology in autonomous driving and artificial intelligence.
While Musk remains a polarizing figure with the general public, Tesla shareholders have consistently backed the billionaire.
In a November vote, shareholders endorsed a pay package worth up to $1 trillion if Tesla meets production and valuation targets, lifting Musk's share of the company to about 25 percent.
Musk had suggested he could exit Tesla absent the package, saying ahead of the vote that he wanted a large enough stake to have a "strong influence" over the company as he builds a "robot army."
Source: Korea Times News
