Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and AI startup xAI, has added an astounding $24 billion to his personal fortune in just the first two trading days of 2025, bringing his total net worth to approximately $644 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. This 4% increase comes on the heels of Musk being 2024’s biggest wealth gainer with a $187 billion increase, and he’s already leading the 2025 wealth gain rankings.
The surge is particularly notable because it doesn’t appear directly tied to stock price movements. Tesla shares have only increased 0.4% year-to-date, adding less than $2 billion to Musk’s stake value even when including his previously disputed stock options. While SpaceX’s valuation soared to $800 billion in December, that increase was already reflected in 2024’s wealth calculations. There have been no publicized valuation increases for Musk’s other ventures, including xAI (his artificial intelligence company), Neuralink, and The Boring Company, suggesting Bloomberg may have adjusted its calculation methodology.
The article emphasizes that tech billionaires have been among the primary beneficiaries of the ongoing AI boom, as investors continue placing massive bets on companies positioned to capitalize on artificial intelligence trends. Alphabet cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have also benefited significantly, each adding over $2 billion to their fortunes in early 2025 as Alphabet shares climbed approximately 1%. In 2024, Page and Brin grew $101 billion and $92 billion richer respectively, trailing only Musk in annual wealth gains.
Musk’s wealth advantage is staggering—he’s worth more than double Larry Page, who holds the second position on the global wealth rankings. Interactive Brokers founder Thomas Peterffy is the distant runner-up in 2025’s wealth gain race with approximately $8 billion added. The article references wisdom from Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett’s late business partner, who noted that accumulating the first $100,000 is often a “long struggle” for those starting from zero—a stark contrast to Musk’s ability to gain or lose tens of billions without significantly impacting his overall net worth percentage.
Key Quotes
the ‘hard part’ of getting rich is pulling together the first $100,000, as that’s often a ’long struggle’ for someone starting at zero
This quote from Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett’s late business partner, provides stark contrast to Musk’s wealth dynamics, where he can gain or lose tens of billions without materially affecting his net worth percentage—highlighting the extreme wealth inequality in the AI-driven tech economy.
Our Take
The timing and scale of Musk’s wealth increase, particularly given his xAI venture, signals that private AI company valuations may be experiencing significant upward revisions even without public announcements. This suggests institutional investors and wealth calculators are increasingly factoring in AI’s long-term value creation potential. What’s particularly striking is how the AI boom has created a self-reinforcing wealth cycle for tech billionaires—their existing companies gain AI capabilities, they launch new AI ventures, and both benefit from surging investor enthusiasm. Musk’s position across Tesla (AI for autonomous driving), xAI (large language models), and Neuralink (brain-computer interfaces) gives him unprecedented exposure to multiple AI verticals. This wealth concentration in AI raises critical questions about whether a handful of individuals will control the technologies that reshape civilization, and whether current antitrust frameworks are adequate for the AI era.
Why This Matters
This story highlights the extraordinary wealth concentration occurring in the AI sector and demonstrates how the artificial intelligence boom is creating unprecedented fortunes for tech executives and investors. Musk’s portfolio includes xAI, his direct AI venture competing with OpenAI, Google, and other major players, positioning him at the center of the AI revolution. The fact that tech billionaires like Musk, Page, and Brin are accumulating wealth at this pace underscores investor confidence in AI’s transformative potential across industries.
The wealth gains reflect broader market dynamics where AI-related companies command premium valuations, even when traditional metrics like daily stock movements don’t fully explain the increases. This suggests that private AI ventures and the AI capabilities of established tech companies are being revalued upward as the technology proves its commercial viability. For the broader economy, this concentration of AI wealth raises important questions about market power, competition, and the distribution of AI’s economic benefits. As these billionaires control companies developing foundational AI technologies, their decisions will shape how artificial intelligence impacts jobs, privacy, and society for years to come.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-wealth-gain-tesla-spacex-rich-list-billionaires-ai-2026-1