Elon Musk has become the first person in history worth more than $800 billion after SpaceX acquired his artificial intelligence company xAI. Forbes estimates the deal increased Musk’s net worth by $84 billion, pushing it to a record $852 billion.
The merger values the combined company at $1.25 trillion. After the deal, Musk owns an estimated 43% stake in the new entity, which Forbes values at about $542 billion. SpaceX alone is now valued at $1 trillion, making it Musk’s most valuable asset.
Before the acquisition, Musk held a large stake in both companies. He owned about 42% of SpaceX and nearly half of xAI. Private fundraising rounds earlier this year had already placed high valuations on both businesses.
Musk also holds major stakes in other companies. He owns around 12% of Tesla, worth an estimated $178 billion, along with stock options valued at about $124 billion. Those figures do not include a massive performance-based pay package that could award Musk additional Tesla shares in the future.
This marks the second major merger involving Musk’s companies in less than a year. In 2025, Musk combined xAI with his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Those deals raised questions because Musk acted as both buyer and seller, controlling the valuations.
All of Musk’s companies are now under the SpaceX umbrella, which is expected to go public later this year. An initial public offering would subject the businesses to greater scrutiny from investors and regulators.
Musk has reached several wealth milestones in recent months. He became the first person worth $500 billion in October, $600 billion in December, and $700 billion just days later after a court restored his Tesla stock options.
Musk now leads the world’s wealth rankings by a wide margin. He is estimated to be $578 billion richer than Google cofounder Larry Page, the world’s second-wealthiest person. At his current pace, Musk is moving closer to becoming the world’s first trillionaire.
