Elon Musk Net Worth

Elon Musk has an estimated net worth of $925 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Elon Musk profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $22.3 billion in 2019.

Elon Musk is a business leader best known for Tesla and SpaceX. He cofounded Zip2 in 1995 and later cofounded X.com, which merged with Confinity in 2000 to form PayPal. In 2002, he founded SpaceX and became its CEO and chief engineer. He joined Tesla as an early investor in 2004, then became CEO and product architect in 2008. He also started xAI and has stakes in Neuralink and The Boring Company.

Most of Musk’s wealth comes from SpaceX and Tesla, according to Forbes. SpaceX, founded in 2002, went public in June 2026, a move that made him the world’s first trillionaire that month. Forbes says he owns 38% of SpaceX, including options. He also owns nearly 11% of Tesla and has led the carmaker since 2008. In February 2026, SpaceX acquired xAI in a deal that valued the combined company at $1.25 trillion.

How Elon Musk makes money

Musk’s fortune is tied mainly to the companies he helped build and lead. Forbes points to Tesla and SpaceX as the main drivers. He first backed Tesla in 2004 and has run it as CEO since 2008. Forbes says he owns nearly 11% of the company, not counting unvested restricted stock from his 2018 CEO performance award that could add another 8% before taxes if it vests.

SpaceX is the bigger piece of the picture. Musk founded the rocket company in 2002 and serves as CEO and chief engineer. Forbes says he owns 38% of SpaceX, including options. In June 2026, SpaceX opened its first trading day as a public company at a valuation of nearly $2 trillion. Forbes also says SpaceX acquired xAI in February 2026, valuing the combined company at $1.25 trillion after Twitter had already been merged into xAI.

Forbes net worth timeline

Forbes estimated Musk at $22.3 billion in 2019 and $151 billion in 2021. By 2024, Forbes put his wealth at $195 billion. Those changes tracked the value of his holdings in Tesla and SpaceX, the two companies that matter most to his fortune. Forbes also notes that he is self-made and works in technology, which fits the way his money is connected to company ownership rather than salary.

The biggest jump came in 2026. Forbes says Musk became the world’s first trillionaire on June 12 when SpaceX went public. The company opened trading at nearly a $2 trillion valuation, lifting the value of his stake. Forbes later placed him at $925 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026. That estimate still reflects how heavily his wealth depends on SpaceX, with Tesla as a smaller but important piece.