Elon Musk's net worth surpassed $600 billion for the first time, due to a recent private insider share sale at SpaceX
The transaction reportedly valued SpaceX at approximately $800 billion, roughly double earlier estimates
Musk is estimated to own 42% of SpaceX, and this re-rating, combined with his Tesla holdings, drove his paper wealth past the $600 billion mark
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has taken another step toward becoming the world’s first trillionaire after a private insider share sale at SpaceX pushed his paper wealth past $600 billion, Forbes reported.
Musk’s net worth reportedly exceeded $600 billion this week following a secondary (tender) sale at SpaceX that valued the rocket maker at roughly $800 billion. That privately negotiated transaction, and the investor re-rating that followed, is the primary reason for Forbes’s updated estimate.
1 December 2025
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Musk is estimated to own about 42% of SpaceX, which places the value of his stake at several hundred billion dollars under the new valuation. Combined with his holdings in Tesla and other assets, this underpins Forbes’s calculation of his latest net-worth milestone.
What Happened at SpaceX?
The company approved an insider share sale, or tender/secondary offering, that market reports say priced shares at a level implying a valuation of about $800 billion, roughly double earlier secondary-market estimates this year.
The transaction, along with related investor communications, also points to SpaceX’s intent to pursue a possible IPO in 2026. Company communications from the chief financial officer and press reports describe the move as a step toward eventual public listing plans.
Private tender offers often establish new reference prices for closely held companies and can significantly revalue founders’ paper wealth well before any public-market debut. However, such valuations are conditional, shaped by participation in the private sale, the price set for that specific tranche, and investor demand. They do not guarantee that a future public listing would achieve the same valuation. Analysts note that an $800 billion private valuation raises expectations for any eventual IPO while also attracting scrutiny over how sustainable that price would be once the shares are widely traded.
Context
The SpaceX move comes as Musk’s other assets, notably his stake in Tesla and his AI ventures, continue to shape his headline net worth. Private transactions like the SpaceX tender, combined with recent corporate developments, explain sudden, large swings in estimated billionaire rankings.
The insider sale has materially boosted Musk’s paper wealth and sharpened market focus on SpaceX’s IPO timeline. Observers caution that private deal valuations can move quickly and may diverge from eventual public prices, but in the near term the transaction has already reset expectations for both SpaceX and Musk’s standing among the world’s richest individuals.
