Elon Musk is back to being the world’s richest person after he briefly lost his spot late last year, and it’s all thanks to a spike in Tesla shares.
According to Forbes, stocks in the company went up 4.6% to $235 per share. It’s nearing its highest closing share price since October last year, meaning Tesla’s gains are finally up after nearly two years of sinking numbers.
This has a significant impact on Elon’s personal net worth. He’s currently estimated to be worth $226.4 billion. The businessman has been on top of the world’s richest for years, but LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault surpassed him in December when Tesla stocks took a nosedive.
Elon may have the world’s biggest fortune to his name, but it’s likely to fluctuate, especially given the numerous projects he’s reportedly funding.
In April, it was reported that the SpaceX founder plans to spend $2 billion on a new starship after the last one exploded, which Elon hailed as a success despite the debris. "Congrats @SpaceX team on an exciting test launch of Starship!" Elon tweeted on April 20 following the failed launch. “Learned a lot for next test launch in a few months.”
Not only did Elon call the launch a success, but he also said it went better than anticipated.
"The outcome was roughly in what I expected, and maybe slightly exceeding my expectations, but roughly what I expected, which is that we would get clear of the pad," he wrote.
Elon is also working on another project, specifically for his employees – he wants to create a tiny town in Texas. In March, reports said that 3,500 acres of land right outside of Austin, Texas. It’s roughly four times the size of New York’s Central Park.
The businessman reportedly plans to develop the property into housing for his employees. He’s planning to build SpaceX and Boring Inc. facilities nearby, presumably where the majority of the staff would work from.
While the project is only in its early stages, there’s been some development on the land, including modular homes and a pool.
Elon is consulting a variety of famous faces on the project, including Kanye West, who he’s had a long-standing friendship with. He’s also reportedly seeking advice from singer Grimes, whom he shares two children with.