Elon Musk has set a new personal and global wealth record after SpaceX absorbed his artificial intelligence and social media company, xAI. The landmark deal has lifted Musk’s fortune beyond the $800 billion threshold, cementing his position as the richest individual in history by a substantial margin.
Forbes reports that the merger values the combined business at roughly $1.25 trillion, adding an estimated $84 billion to Musk’s wealth and pushing his total net worth to about $852 billion.
How the SpaceX–xAI deal reshaped Musk’s wealth
Before the transaction, Musk owned approximately 42% of SpaceX, which was valued at $800 billion following a December tender offer—putting his stake at around $336 billion. He also held close to 49% of xAI, which was valued at $250 billion after a private fundraising round earlier this month, giving his share an estimated value of $122 billion.
Following the merger, SpaceX’s valuation climbed to $1 trillion, while xAI remained valued at $250 billion. Forbes estimates that Musk now controls about 43% of the combined entity, translating to a stake worth roughly $542 billion.
SpaceX now Musk’s biggest asset
SpaceX has emerged as Musk’s most valuable holding by a wide margin. Beyond that, he owns about 12% of Tesla, currently valued at approximately $178 billion, along with Tesla stock options worth an additional $124 billion.
These figures exclude Tesla’s massive compensation package approved by shareholders in November. If all performance targets are achieved, the package could award Musk up to $1 trillion in extra Tesla shares, before taxes and the costs tied to unlocking restricted stock. The targets include ambitious “Mars shot” goals, such as increasing Tesla’s market capitalisation more than eightfold over the next decade.
This marks the second major merger involving Musk-controlled companies in under a year. In March last year, he merged xAI with his social media platform X, a deal that valued xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion—roughly in line with what Musk paid for Twitter in 2022, excluding debt.
Four net worth records in four months
Musk has shattered four major wealth milestones in just four months. In October 2025, he became the first person to reach a $500 billion net worth after Tesla shares surged following his exit from U.S. President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to refocus on Tesla.
On December 15, his fortune crossed $600 billion as SpaceX’s valuation doubled from $400 billion in August to $800 billion. Just four days later, Musk broke the $700 billion mark after the Delaware Supreme Court reinstated his Tesla stock options, which had been invalidated by a lower court in 2024.
Far ahead of the rest of the world’s rich
Musk now leads the global wealth rankings by an extraordinary margin, with a $578 billion gap between him and the second-richest person, Google co-founder Larry Page, whose net worth is estimated at $281 billion.
At this trajectory, Musk is also drawing closer to yet another unprecedented milestone: becoming the world’s first trillionaire.
Source: businessstandard Edited By Bernie
