The world's first trillionaire has a name and a surname: it's Elon Musk
The debut of SpaceX on the Nasdaq marked a historic milestone not only for the aerospace sector but also for global finance. With the opening of trading at $150 per share and a subsequent increase that brought the stock to close at $161, the company founded by Elon Musk surpassed $2 trillion in market capitalization.
The operation had an immediate impact on the founder's wealth. According to estimates released by Bloomberg and Forbes, Musk's stake in SpaceX has reached a value between approximately $760 billion and $860 billion, depending on the moment considered during the trading day. Adding this stake to the part owned in Tesla, valued at around $280 billion, the entrepreneur's theoretical net worth would have surpassed $1 trillion.
This is an unprecedented result that makes Musk the first individual in history to reach a personal wealth of twelve digits. The stock market debut of SpaceX alone would have added over $180 billion to his wealth, further solidifying the gap compared to other major players in global technology.
The figures highlight the rapidity with which the entrepreneur's fortune has grown. Forbes first included him among billionaires in 2012, attributing a net worth of around $2.4 billion. In 2019, the wealth had risen to about $20 billion, then accelerated rapidly thanks to the growth of Tesla and subsequently SpaceX. In recent years, the total value of his holdings has increased by about ten times.
The gap compared to the other richest men on the planet appears particularly large. Recent estimates place figures like Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Jeff Bezos, and Larry Ellison much further back, all still credited with fortunes exceeding $200 billion. According to some assessments, moreover, Bill Gates could have boasted a significantly higher wealth than he currently has if he hadn’t allocated a considerable part of his fortune to philanthropic activities.
The entry of SpaceX into public markets has not only generated benefits for its founder. The IPO has indeed created thousands of new millionaires among employees and former employees of the company, along with several new billionaires among executives and historical investors who held shares in the company.
Alongside the growth of personal wealth, the issue of corporate control remains central. Despite the listing, Musk continues to maintain over 80% of the voting rights, a structure that allows him to exert decisive influence over strategic decisions, including the composition of the board of directors. This aspect further strengthens the entrepreneur's role within one of the most ambitious companies in the contemporary technology landscape.
The trillion-dollar threshold also represents an element destined to fuel public debate on the concentration of wealth and the increasing economic weight of the founders of large tech companies. The issue assumes further relevance considering that Musk continues to exert significant influence in strategic sectors such as automotive, space, telecommunications, and artificial intelligence.
Additionally, there are potential margins for future growth. Tesla has previously approved a compensation plan which, upon reaching specific operational and capitalization targets, could theoretically generate further value for its CEO. Moreover, a significant portion of the SpaceX shares held by Musk remains subject to constraints linked to the company's long-term goals, including the project of a future human colony on Mars.
Therefore, the debut of SpaceX on the stock market marks a historic passage both for the commercial space sector and for global finance, delivering an unprecedented record to Elon Musk.