Elon Musk hits $700 billion net worth, surpasses combined wealth of next three richest people

Tech billionaire Elon Musk created history by becoming the first individual in the world to cross a net worth of $700 billion, cementing his position at the very top of the global rich list. Musk’s wealth

surged sharply after a US court reinstated his long-pending compensation package linked to electric-vehicle giant Tesla, according to Reuters.

Following the ruling, Musk’s estimated net worth jumped to about $749 billion, as of December 21, 2025, an unprecedented level that places him far ahead of every other billionaire worldwide. The second-richest person, Google co-founder Larry Page, has a net worth of around $252.6 billion, followed by Oracle founder Larry Ellison at approximately $242.7 billion. Musk is now richer by nearly $500 billion than the person ranked just below him.

In fact, Musk’s fortune is roughly equal to the combined net worth of the next three richest individuals—Larry Page, Larry Ellison and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos—highlighting the extraordinary scale of his financial lead.

Not only that, Musk’s wealth is larger than the annual GDP of over 170 countries. Much of Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia have economies smaller than his fortune, while only a handful of major economies, such as the US, China, Germany and India, exceed it.

The dramatic rise in Musk’s wealth came after the Delaware Supreme Court restored stock options from his 2018 Tesla pay package, which a lower court had earlier struck down. Those options are now valued at about $139 billion, significantly higher than the original estimate of $56 billion when the compensation deal was first approved. The court overturned a 2024 judgment that had termed the package “unfathomable,” ruling that the earlier decision to cancel it was unfair.

Musk’s compensation structure is almost entirely performance-linked, with little traditional salary, meaning his wealth rises and falls with Tesla’s market valuation. As the company’s value expanded dramatically over the years, the worth of his stock options multiplied. Once the court reinstated the package, the impact on Musk’s net worth was immediate and massive.

Unlike many other billionaires with diversified holdings, Musk’s fortune is heavily concentrated in shares, making it more volatile—but also capable of generating extreme gains. With this latest surge, Musk has not only rewritten records of personal wealth but also redefined the scale of modern billionaire fortunes.