There is new money, old money, and then the kind of money that could make someone the world’s first trillionaire!With SpaceX set to make its long-awaited Wall Street debut on Friday in what is expected to be the biggest IPO in history, that possibility may no longer seem far-fetched. If the listing goes as planned, Elon Musk’s fortune could surge into territory that no individual has ever occupied.Elon Musk, already wealthy enough to buy football clubs, acquire AI companies and command a fortune larger than the economies of some nations, could soon claim that unprecedented title, thanks to the blockbuster SpaceX IPO.For decades, becoming a billionaire was the ultimate golden pedestal of wealth. The title belonged to oil barons, industrial magnates, technology pioneers and business leaders who built companies that reshaped entire industries.Then came the age of the centibillionaire, individuals whose fortunes crossed the $100 billion mark. Now, the world could be on the cusp of an even more extraordinary milestone: the emergence of the first trillionaire.And if market expectations are anything to go by, that person could be Elon Musk.The Tesla chief executive, SpaceX founder, owner of X, and one of the most influential figures in modern technology, has spent much of the past decade rewriting the record books. He became the world’s richest person, the first individual to surpass a net worth of $300 billion, and has repeatedly widened the gap between himself and others on the global rich list.
The possibility depends largely on one event: the record-breaking public listing of SpaceX, the private aerospace company that has evolved from a high-risk rocket start-up into one of the most dominant forces in commercial spaceflight.If the company’s valuations turn out to be true, Musk’s personal fortune could soar past the $1 trillion mark, taking him into territory that no individual in modern history has ever occupied.
From riches to richest
Let’s go back a decade, to 2012, when Musk was rich, but far from the ‘world’s richest man’ tag. The tech mogul appeared on the Forbes billionaires list with a net worth estimated at around $2 billion. At the time, Tesla was still trying to prove that electric vehicles could become mainstream. SpaceX had only recently begun demonstrating that private companies could compete with government-backed space programmes.By early 2020, before the pandemic transformed financial markets, Musk’s fortune had climbed to approximately $27 billion.What followed was one of the most dramatic wealth creation stories in modern history.
Tesla’s stock surged as investors embraced electric vehicles and rewarded the company with a valuation that dwarfed traditional automakers. The rally pushed Musk past some of the world’s wealthiest individuals and eventually made him the richest person on Earth.Just a year later, in 2021, Musk became the first person ever to cross the $300 billion net-worth threshold.Even periods of volatility failed to derail the overall trajectory. Tesla’s stock experienced sharp swings, the acquisition of Twitter, later rebranded as X, sparked controversy, and changing political and economic conditions erased billions from his fortune at various points.Yet the trend remained upward.By late 2025, private transactions involving SpaceX had significantly boosted the company’s valuation, helping Musk’s fortune cross the $600 billion mark. Today, various wealth trackers estimate his net worth between roughly $800 billion and $850 billion.That alone has placed him far ahead of his closest rivals.Now, the gap separating Musk from other members of the billionaire elite is so vast that he is effectively competing against himself.While other technology founders continue to accumulate wealth, Musk’s financial position increasingly resembles a category of its own.
The question is no longer whether he will remain the richest person in the world, rather it is whether he can become the first trillionaire.That possibility is no longer a distant thought experiment. With SpaceX expected to begin trading on Friday, investors are effectively preparing to place a market value on Musk’s space empire for the first time. The result could reshape not only the company but also the global wealth rankings.
‘X’ factor behind the math
So, what will it take for Musk to become the world’s first trillionaire?The answer may not be more Teslas on the road or more rockets in the sky, but rather one massive stock market debut.The biggest catalyst behind Musk potentially crossing the trillion-dollar mark is SpaceX. Formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp, the company is raising $75 billion through what is expected to be the largest IPO in history.
SpaceX has set its offer price at $135 per share, valuing the rocket and satellite company at around $1.77 trillion. The IPO is expected to be priced on June 11, and is expected to hit Wall Street a day later.If the listing goes as planned, the impact on Musk’s fortune could be staggering.According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Musk is currently worth about $716 billion. Of that, around $542 billion comes from his stake in SpaceX.However, the company’s move from private markets to public markets could significantly boost the value of those holdings.Now, SpaceX’s IPO documents show that Musk is not selling any shares as part of the offering and will continue to control the company after it goes public. Regulatory filings indicate that he will retain about 82.4% of the voting power through a special class of shares.According to a CNN report, Musk already owns roughly $273 billion worth of Tesla stock and options. If SpaceX lists at its targeted valuation of $1.77 trillion, his stake in the company could be worth around $841 billion, given that he owns nearly half of the business.Put the two together, and Musk’s holdings in SpaceX and Tesla alone could be worth about $1.11 trillion. That means he could become the first person in history to cross the trillion-dollar net worth milestone. In fact, he may briefly surpass that mark soon after SpaceX starts trading.
SpaceX IPO: The launchpad to trillions
SpaceX plans to sell 555.6 million shares in its IPO, raising approximately $75 billion. Investor demand, however, has already exceeded that amount by a wide margin, with Reuters reporting that interest in the offering has crossed $250 billion, making the IPO 3.5 to four times oversubscribed.Several long-term investment funds have also placed what one source described as “sizable orders,” while Elon Musk briefly joined a few Zoom meetings with potential investors ahead of the listing.The frenzy around the offering comes despite SpaceX remaining loss-making. In 2025, the company reported revenue of $18.67 billion, up 33% from the previous year, but posted a net loss of $4.94 billion.
The company’s lofty valuation reflects the fact that investors no longer see SpaceX as just a rocket manufacturer. Instead, many are rushing to secure a piece of Musk’s space empire.Its launch business remains a major strength. Reusable Falcon rockets have dramatically lowered launch costs and allowed SpaceX to dominate a strategically important industry. The company has become the preferred launch provider for governments, commercial satellite operators and scientific organisations, with industry estimates suggesting it now handles the overwhelming majority of commercial payloads sent into orbit.However, Starlink is increasingly viewed as the company’s crown jewel. The satellite internet venture generates recurring subscription revenue from users worldwide, offering a more predictable cash flow model than the project-based launch business. Starlink has expanded beyond households into aviation, maritime services, defence contracts and enterprise connectivity, leading many investors to believe it could evolve into one of the world’s most valuable communications businesses.Artificial intelligence has added another layer to the SpaceX growth story. The integration of xAI into Musk’s broader business ecosystem has strengthened the company’s AI credentials, with investors assessing SpaceX not only as a launch and communications company but also as a potential player in future AI infrastructure. The company has discussed using its satellite network, computing capabilities and future orbital infrastructure to support large-scale AI operations.SpaceX has also expanded into advanced computing infrastructure and next-generation space transportation, placing it at the intersection of several fast-growing industries. According to information shared with investors, this convergence is a key reason behind the company’s extraordinary valuation.
What does a trillion dollars actually mean?
The human brain is not particularly good at understanding numbers on this scale. Most people can intuitively grasp the difference between $10 and $100, but something that has never been owned by anyone still seems a far fetched thought.A trillion dollars is not simply a thousand billion dollars in abstract mathematical terms. It represents a level of wealth so vast that it begins to rival the economic output of nations.If Musk reaches a net worth of approximately $1 trillion, he would possess paper wealth exceeding the annual GDP of numerous developed economies like Taiwan, Ireland, Belgium, Sweden, Israel, Argentina, Singapore, South Africa and many more.Another way to understand the scale is through time.A person spending $1 million every hour, twenty-four hours a day, would still need more than a century to exhaust $1 trillion!
Of course, much will depend on how SpaceX trades after listing. IPO valuations can fluctuate sharply in the days following a debut, and Musk’s fortune remains heavily tied to market sentiment.
So, will Elon Musk become the first trillionaire?
The answer is likely yes.With Musk’s fortune already estimated at $716 billion, and his SpaceX stake potentially rising to around $841 billion after the company’s $1.77 trillion IPO, his combined holdings in SpaceX and Tesla could exceed $1.11 trillion.Much of that wealth would exist on paper and remain subject to market swings. But if SpaceX’s blockbuster debut unfolds as expected, the jump from billionaire to centibillionaire to trillionaire may no longer seem like science fiction; it could simply mark Musk’s next financial milestone.And Musk may not be the only one getting richer. According to New York Times, SpaceX’s mega IPO could also create thousands of newly minted millionaires among its workforce. According to an analysis by Hill. com, the listing at $135 per share could turn more than 4,400 current and former employees who received stock-based compensation into millionaires, while nearly 400 could end up with holdings worth more than $100 million.
