Elon Musk achieved a net worth of $500 billion on October 1, 2025, according to Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires List. He Surpassed Larry Ellison by $150 billion. The milestone resulted from a 3.3% rise in Tesla shares to $459.46, valuing his 13% stake at $191 billion, alongside contributions from his 42% ownership in SpaceX at $147 billion and xAI at $50 billion.
Musk’s wealth has increased by $245 billion since January 2025, driven by investor optimism in Tesla’s AI autonomy and robotics advancements. Know 10 points about this man who is redefining businesses across:
Accomplishments of Elon Musk
1. Co-Founding and Selling Zip2
In 1996, Elon Musk co-founded Zip2, an online business directory and mapping service launched during the early days of the internet. The company provided licensed city guides to newspapers, helping them integrate digital maps and business listings on their websites.
Zip2 brought digital convenience to traditional print media, which had yet to fully embrace the web. In 1999, Compaq acquired Zip2 for $307 million, marking Musk’s first major business success. He personally earned $22 million from the deal, giving him both the capital and credibility to pursue even more ambitious ventures.
2. Founding X.com (Later PayPal)
After selling Zip2, Musk founded X.com in 1999, a pioneering online payment platform aiming to disrupt traditional banking with secure digital transactions. Despite internal conflicts, X.com gained rapid popularity for its ease of use.
X.com later merged with Confinity, a rival company with its own payment service called PayPal. The merged entity adopted the PayPal brand and soon became the leader in online payments. In 2002, eBay acquired PayPal for $1.5 billion, with Musk receiving $180 million from the sale. This exit further shaped the digital finance landscape and established Musk as a major tech innovator.
3. Founding SpaceX
In 2002, Musk founded SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corp.) with a vision to reduce the cost of space travel and ultimately establish a human settlement on Mars. Initially met with skepticism, the company faced repeated technical and financial setbacks.
Despite early failures, SpaceX achieved historic milestones:
- In 2012, Dragon became the first private spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station (ISS).
- In 2020, Crew Dragon became the first privately built spacecraft to carry astronauts to the ISS.
SpaceX continues to innovate with Starship, a fully reusable rocket designed for interplanetary travel and large-scale payload delivery.
4. Transforming Tesla into a Global EV Leader
Musk joined Tesla Motors in 2004 as an early investor and chairman, eventually becoming CEO in 2008. Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy through electric vehicles (EVs).
Under Musk’s leadership, Tesla introduced several groundbreaking EV models:
- Roadster (2008): A high-performance electric sports car.
- Model S (2012): A luxury sedan that redefined what EVs could do.
- Model 3 (2017): An affordable, mass-market EV.
Despite production challenges and financial hurdles, Tesla emerged as the world’s most valuable carmaker, becoming a symbol of the global clean energy movement.
5. Launching Tesla Energy Products
In 2015, Musk expanded Tesla’s mission with Tesla Energy, launching products like:
- Powerwall: A home battery system that stores solar energy for use during outages or at night.
- Powerpack & Megapack: Scalable battery storage solutions for commercial and utility use.
These innovations aim to enable a full transition to renewable energy by integrating solar power with efficient storage solutions. Tesla Energy has helped position the company as a major player in the global shift toward sustainable energy infrastructure.
6. Founding The Boring Company
In 2016, Musk founded The Boring Company to tackle urban traffic congestion through underground tunnel systems. Frustrated by slow commutes, Musk proposed an innovative solution using cost-effective tunneling technologies.
The company’s first operational project, the Las Vegas Loop, transports passengers in Tesla vehicles through underground tunnels beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center. While other proposed tunnels are still in planning stages, the concept holds promise for revolutionizing urban transportation.
7. Founding Neuralink
Also in 2016, Musk co-founded Neuralink, a neurotechnology company developing brain-computer interface (BCI) devices.
Neuralink’s goals include:
- Treating neurological disorders like paralysis and epilepsy.
- Enabling direct communication between humans and machines.
- Enhancing cognitive abilities, potentially merging humans with AI.
The company has shown promising results in animal trials and is working toward human testing. Neuralink’s work has sparked both excitement and ethical debate about the future of human-computer integration.
8. Developing the Hyperloop Concept
In 2013, Musk introduced the concept of the Hyperloop — a high-speed transportation system where pods travel through low-pressure tubes at speeds over 700 mph.
Instead of building it himself, Musk published an open-source white paper encouraging others to develop the technology. Several companies have since taken on the challenge. If realized, the Hyperloop could dramatically cut travel times and provide a sustainable alternative to air and rail travel.
9. Open-Sourcing Tesla Patents
In a bold move in 2014, Musk announced that Tesla would open-source its electric vehicle patents, allowing other companies to use them in good faith without fear of lawsuits.
Musk argued that accelerating the adoption of sustainable transport was more important than maintaining a competitive edge. This move fostered collaboration and innovation within the automotive industry and underscored Musk’s commitment to combating climate change on a global scale.
10. Acquisition and Transformation of Twitter (Now X)
In 2022, Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion, motivated by concerns over free speech and content moderation. After taking ownership, he introduced major changes, including:
- Rebranding Twitter to “X”
- Implementing a subscription model
- Expanding monetization for creators
- Allowing long-form content
Musk’s long-term vision is to turn X into an “everything app” — integrating social media, messaging, payments, and more into a unified platform. While the changes have sparked controversy, they reflect Musk’s drive to rethink and disrupt established digital platforms.
Final Thoughts
Elon Musk’s accomplishments span multiple industries — from space and transportation to finance and neuroscience. His willingness to challenge conventions, take risks, and envision a radically different future has made him one of the most influential entrepreneurs of the 21st century.