By Samannay Biswas
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, remains the world鈥檚 richest individual as of July 2025, with an estimated net worth of $367 billion, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index. His wealth, heavily tied to the performance of Tesla stock, peaked at $439 billion in December 2024 following a market rally sparked by Donald Trump鈥檚 re-election. However, Musk鈥檚 fortune has since fallen by over $70 billion due to Tesla’s stock decline, public criticism over government spending, and a political spat with Trump over EV mandates. Musk鈥檚 wealth has been shaped by a series of entrepreneurial successes beginning in the late 1990s, including the sales of Zip2 and PayPal, and the founding of SpaceX and Tesla. A significant portion of his current net worth鈥攐ver 75 per cent鈥攊s tied to Tesla shares. His financial trajectory soared during the COVID-19 pandemic as Tesla stock surged. By November 2021, he briefly held $340 billion in wealth, a record that was later broken in late 2024 after Tesla鈥檚 stock climbed and SpaceX hit a $350 billion valuation. However, his fortune has fluctuated since, especially after Tesla鈥檚 underwhelming 鈥淲e, Robot鈥 event in October 2024 and an ongoing legal dispute over his $55 billion pay package, initially approved in 2018 but voided by a Delaware court earlier this year. Tesla鈥檚 stock volatility remains central to Musk鈥檚 financial standing. Shares dipped by over 50 per cent earlier this year due to weak vehicle sales, rising consumer backlash, and investor concerns over Musk’s involvement with the US Department of Government Efficiency. However, following his withdrawal from that role and Tesla鈥檚 limited robotaxi rollout in Austin, shares rebounded by 6.5 per cent. Still, political tensions remain high. Musk鈥檚 public criticism of the $5 trillion US debt ceiling increase鈥攍abelled by him as the 鈥淧orky Pig Party鈥 bill鈥攑rovoked a sharp rebuke from Trump, who said Musk knew of his anti-EV stance and warned of withdrawing subsidies: 鈥淲ithout subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa.鈥 Musk’s wealth is also supported by holdings in SpaceX (about 20 per cent of his fortune), The Boring Company, Neuralink, and his controversial acquisition of Twitter (now X), which he bought for $44 billion in 2022. Despite not drawing a salary from Tesla, Musk鈥檚 compensation is structured entirely around high-risk performance goals. Tesla stated in 2018: 鈥淓lon will receive no guaranteed compensation of any kind鈥 only if Tesla and all of its shareholders do extraordinarily well.鈥 That plan, however, is now under legal appeal. Despite recent headwinds, Musk鈥檚 entrepreneurial ventures continue to shape global tech and space innovation, and his fortune, while volatile, remains a bellwether for market and political sentiment. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Companies, Business Economy and around the world.