Who is Elon Musk and what is his net worth?

Who is Elon Musk and what is his net worth?3 February 2026ShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleLiv McMahon, Natalie Sherman, Dearbail Jordan & Osmond ChiaBusiness & technology reportersGetty ImagesThe Tesla boss became the first person ever to achieve a net worth of more than $500bnIt seems like not a day goes by without billionaire Elon Musk making headlines - and in the future, we may be calling him a trillionaire.The boss of Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter) is the world's richest person.He became the first to achieve a net worth of more than half a trillion dollars (£370.9bn) in October 2025, according to Forbes, and a month later, Tesla shareholders approved a record-breaking pay deal that could be worth $1trillion.Musk has charged ahead with human brain chip trials at his firm Neuralink and tried to take a major role in the fast-growing world of artificial intelligence, despite warning that the tech could lead to humanity's extinction.But he is also known for using his social media platform to air his views on a vast array of topics, particularly politics.In early 2024, his reach expanded further after Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election - in which the Tesla executive played a key but controversial role - before their relationship imploded in a bitter feud.It's not just in the US where Musk has waded into political controversy - with posts and comments about current affairs in the UK, Germany and other European states frequently stoking the ire of politicians across the pond.His foray into politics, however, came at a cost to his businesses. Analysts attributed slumps in Tesla sales in 2025 to be partly due to customers turning against Musk.Now, Musk has sought to boost his firms and their fortunes even further by merging SpaceX and xAI to create the world's most valuable private company.Where was Elon Musk born?Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Musk showed his talents for entrepreneurship early, going door...