New York: Global wealth charts were upended again this week as Elon Musk surged past the $700-billion mark, becoming the richest individual ever recorded—just days after crossing $600 billion.
The dramatic jump followed a ruling by the Delaware Supreme Court, which reinstated a long-disputed Tesla stock-option package granted to Musk in 2018. With the legal cloud lifted, Forbes revised its calculations, lifting previous discounts on the award and pushing Musk’s estimated net worth to around $749 billion.
Elon Musk becomes first person worth $700 billion following pay package ruling https://t.co/0REaGLt1wR https://t.co/0REaGLt1wR
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 20, 2025
For nearly a year, Musk’s fortune had been partially capped after a lower court questioned the fairness of the original compensation process. The top court, however, ruled that cancelling the options altogether was excessive—triggering an overnight revaluation of Musk’s holdings and restoring Tesla to the top spot among his assets.
Musk now controls roughly 12 per cent of Tesla’s common shares, valued at close to $200 billion, while the revived options lift the overall worth of his Tesla stake well beyond $300 billion. That figure excludes a fresh, performance-linked pay plan approved recently, which could dwarf all previous executive packages if ambitious growth targets are met.
Even so, Tesla may not be the final driver of Musk’s trillionaire trajectory. His 42 per cent ownership in SpaceX has nearly matched his Tesla wealth. With the space company reportedly exploring a public listing later this decade at a valuation exceeding $1 trillion, analysts say SpaceX could ultimately propel Musk into uncharted financial territory.
The scale of Musk’s lead is stark. The second-richest individual globally, Larry Page of Google, trails far behind with a fortune estimated near $250 billion—highlighting a wealth gap never before seen at the top of the global rich list.
From electric cars to reusable rockets, Musk’s empire is no longer just breaking technological barriers—it is now rewriting the limits of personal wealth itself.
