In early October, Tesla’s stock price soared, pushing Elon Musk’s net worth to an unprecedented $500 billion. Even after reaching this historic milestone, Musk continues to sleep in his factory on occasion — behavior that many find astonishing.
And yet, despite his staggering fortune, Musk is not the richest individual in human history. In fact, three people have surpassed him — and one of them was Chinese.
On Oct.1 at 3:30 p.m. ET, Musk became the world’s first “half-trillion-dollar billionaire,” according to Forbes’ real-time rankings. His fortune briefly hit $500 billion, placing him roughly $150 billion ahead of Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle and the second-richest person at the time.
Tesla’s strong performance was the key driver. On Wednesday, shares rose 3.31 percent to close at $459, and briefly hit $470 the following morning — approaching last December’s record of $488.
The momentum continued on Oct. 2, when Tesla announced Q3 delivery numbers:
- 497,099 vehicles delivered (well above Wall Street’s estimate of 443,000)
- 7.3 percent year-over-year growth
- The best quarterly performance in company history
- Nearly 8.5 million vehicles delivered globally so far
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Tesla’s energy division also posted its strongest quarter ever, deploying 12.5 GWh of storage capacity — an 81 percent increase — with a 30 percent gross margin.
For Tesla, energy has become a major profit engine.
Together, these developments propelled Musk’s net worth to new heights.
A potential trillionaire?
Musk’s wealth trajectory has been extraordinary. In March 2020, his net worth stood at $24.6 billion. Five months later, in August 2020, he joined the small club of people worth more than $100 billion.
By January 2021, he had climbed to nearly $190 billion, becoming the world’s richest person for the first time. His ascent continued:
- November 2021: surpassed $300 billion
- December 2024: surpassed $400 billion
- October 2025: surpassed $500 billion, less than a year later
At his current pace, some analysts believe Musk could become the world’s first trillionaire by March 2033.
Musk’s relentless work ethic
Despite his immense wealth, Musk is known for his demanding schedule. While some billionaires spend freely and travel widely, Musk spends most of his time in Palo Alto, the heart of Silicon Valley and home to his AI company xAI.
He often works entire days, sometimes well past midnight. As he’s done at other companies, the 54-year-old billionaire occasionally sleeps in the office — in a sleeping bag or simply on the carpet.
In one recent account, Musk spent a Friday night working on the Optimus humanoid robot. He then caught a red-eye flight to Austin, landing at 5:00 a.m. Saturday so he could “have lunch with my kids.” He dedicated the rest of Saturday to Tesla, reviewing AI5 chip designs.
His travel is far easier than most. Since buying his first Gulfstream G550 in 2003, he has built a fleet of at least four private jets, including a Gulfstream G700 delivered in 2025 — a $78 million aircraft with a custom blue-and-silver exterior and luxurious interior.
On Monday, Musk flew to Memphis, Tennessee, to inspect Colossus II — now the world’s largest AI compute center. Workers were also painting a massive rooftop sign reading “MACROHARD”, an unmistakable jab at former world’s richest man Bill Gates.
Musk is, without question, driven.
The richest person of all time: Mansa Musa
Even so, Musk’s wealth does not surpass that of Mansa Musa, the 14th-century ruler of the Mali Empire. He is widely considered the richest person in human history.
In 2012, Celebrity Net Worth ranked him first among the 25 wealthiest people of all time.
In 2015, TIME Magazine placed him at the top of its Top 10 Richest People in History list.
Mansa Musa’s wealth derived from controlling West Africa’s abundant gold and salt resources. At the time, about half of the world’s gold supply came from West Africa. Salt — often called “white gold” — was equally valuable, and the Mali Empire dominated the trans-Saharan trade routes.
His most famous act was his 1324 pilgrimage to Mecca. Historical accounts describe a caravan of 60,000 to 100,000 people, including soldiers, attendants, merchants, slaves, and herds of livestock. Hundreds of camels carried 300 pounds (136 kg) of gold each. His entourage wore silk and carried golden staff.
Along the route, Mansa Musa distributed massive amounts of gold to residents, officials, and the poor in Cairo, Medina, and Mecca. In Cairo alone, he reportedly gave away several tons of gold.
By flooding the market, he triggered a collapse in gold prices. He stayed in Cairo for three months, doing little except distributing gold. To stabilize the economy, he bought back gold on his return — but he had already given away so much that he had to borrow gold at high interest rates. Economists call this an early example of currency intervention. The shock he caused disrupted Egypt’s economy for 20 years.
His pilgrimage also brought global fame to the Mali Empire. After returning, he commissioned grand construction projects in Niani and Timbuktu — palaces, mosques, and universities.
He invited Arab and Berber scholars to Timbuktu, building libraries that held tens of thousands of manuscripts. The city became a major intellectual and commercial center in the Islamic world, later inspiring European interest in African gold and contributing to the Age of Exploration.
The second-richest in history: Augustus Caesar
Next on the list is Augustus Caesar, Rome’s first emperor. Born Gaius Octavius, he ruled for 58 years and lived to 77.
Augustus ushered in the Pax Romana, a two-century period of stability and prosperity that laid the foundation for Western civilization. Under his rule, Rome rebuilt roads and cities, and the empire’s economy flourished.
As emperor, Augustus controlled immense wealth — everything from the Nile’s grain supply to tax revenues across Gaul. Historians estimate his net worth at around $4.6 trillion in modern terms.
The Roman Senate honored him with the title “Augustus,” and the month of August still carries his name.
The third-richest: Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty
The third-richest figure in history may surprise some: Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song, Zhao Xu.
Even TIME magazine wrote that his wealth was impossible to calculate.
The Northern Song period marked one of the greatest economic peaks in Chinese history. Unlike earlier dynasties that restricted commerce, the Song Dynasty saw flourishing trade, advanced financial systems, rapid technological innovation, and thriving urban centers.
According to historian Ronald A. Edwards, at its peak, the Northern Song’s wealth exceeded that of all of Europe and accounted for 25 percent – 30 percent of global GDP.
Starting in 965, the government required regions to send gold, silk, and other valuables to the central treasury. Kaifeng became a hub of unparalleled wealth — a city so prosperous that historians say no other place in the world matched its abundance.
When Emperor Shenzong ascended the throne at age 20, he inherited a kingdom overflowing with riches — vividly depicted in Along the River During the Qingming Festival.
But threats from northern tribes troubled him deeply. Determined to strengthen the military, he aligned with reformer Wang Anshi and launched sweeping reforms aimed at:
- improving fiscal management
- reorganizing the military
- curbing illegal commerce and elite privilege
- enhancing national defense
Despite some early success, the reforms encountered major implementation issues, harming ordinary people and provoking resistance from entrenched interests. The reform effort collapsed, and Shenzong, weighed down by worry, died in his thirties. He was later criticized as the emperor under whom “the fall of the Northern Song began.”
Shenzong was an emotional ruler. When a drought-stricken region finally received rain, he burst into song and dance before his officials. Waiting for military updates from the north, he sometimes paced around his bed all night. Upon hearing of a defeat against Western Xia, he openly wept before the court.
He lived just over 30 years, driven by a sincere desire to strengthen his country — a goal he never achieved. A wealthy empire, a well-intentioned reform, and a young ruler’s ambitions all faded with time. Today, centuries later, his appearance on the “richest of all time” list evokes a quiet sense of irony.
Great fortunes emerge from historical timing as much as personal ability. Wealth can be squandered, used for public good, or applied toward advancing human progress.
So what is Elon Musk aiming for?
Tesla’s newly released Master Plan 4 offers a hint.
“By integrating AI into the physical world at scale, we expect 80 percent of future value to come from robotics. Over the last 20 years, through electric vehicles, energy products, and humanoid robots, we have built the foundation for large-scale physical AI. Tesla is now entering a period of ‘unprecedented growth,’ a ‘shared leap’ for both Tesla and humanity.”
Musk is clearly thinking long-term. If he succeeds, AI succeeds with him.
But what will this mean for the world — and for humanity?
Will it mark a revolutionary transformation of human life? Or will it become a trap that future generations regret?
