SpaceX is set to make its long-awaited Wall Street debut on Friday in what is expected to be the biggest IPO in history, a milestone that could push Elon Musk's fortune into territory no individual has ever occupied — the trillion-dollar club, according to a Business Today report.
If the listing proceeds as anticipated, Musk's personal net worth — currently estimated by various wealth trackers at roughly $800 billion to $850 billion — could surge past the $1 trillion mark, the report stated.
From Riches to Richest: A Decade of Wealth Creation
Business Today traced Musk's wealth trajectory over the past decade. In 2012, Musk appeared on the Forbes billionaires list with a net worth of approximately $2 billion. At that time, Tesla was still proving electric vehicles could go mainstream, and SpaceX had only recently demonstrated private companies could compete with government space programmes.
By early 2020, before the pandemic reshaped financial markets, Musk's fortune had climbed to roughly $27 billion. What followed was one of the most dramatic wealth-creation stories in modern history, driven by a surge in Tesla's stock as investors embraced electric vehicles. In 2021, Musk became the first person ever to cross the $300 billion net-worth threshold.
Even after periods of volatility — sharp swings in Tesla shares, the controversial acquisition of Twitter (later rebranded as X), and economic disruptions that erased billions at various points — the overall trend remained upward. By late 2025, private transactions involving SpaceX had boosted its valuation significantly, helping Musk's fortune cross $600 billion.
The table below summarises the key milestones:
| Year | Net Worth Milestone | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | ~$2 billion | First appearance on Forbes billionaires list |
| 2020 | ~$27 billion | Pre-pandemic valuation |
| 2021 | >$300 billion | First individual to surpass $300 billion |
| Late 2025 | >$600 billion | Boosted by private SpaceX transactions |
| Mid-2026 | $800B–$850B | Current estimate ahead of IPO |
The gap separating Musk from other billionaire elites is now so vast that he is effectively competing against himself, according to the report.
SpaceX IPO: The Engine for Trillion-Dollar Status
The catalyst for the potential trillionaire milestone is the public listing of SpaceX, the private aerospace company that has evolved from a high-risk rocket start-up into a dominant force in commercial spaceflight. Business Today noted that if the company’s valuations prove accurate, Musk's fortune could soar past $1 trillion — a category no individual in modern history has occupied.
Musk’s existing holdings include his role as Tesla chief executive, SpaceX founder, and owner of X (formerly Twitter). The IPO is expected to significantly increase the market value of his SpaceX stake, which has already been rising through private secondary transactions.
Market Expectations and the Trillionaire Threshold
For decades, becoming a billionaire was the ultimate symbol of wealth, belonging to oil barons, industrial magnates, and technology pioneers. Then came the age of the centibillionaire, those crossing $100 billion. Now, the world could witness the emergence of the first trillionaire.
The Business Today report emphasised that the question is no longer whether Musk will remain the world's richest person, but whether he can become the first to reach a net worth of $1 trillion. The IPO, expected to be the largest in history, will be the deciding factor. While other technology founders continue to accumulate wealth, Musk’s financial position increasingly resembles a category of its own, with a fortune larger than the economies of some nations.
For finance executives and investors tracking capital markets, the SpaceX IPO represents a landmark event that will set valuation benchmarks for the commercial space sector and redefine the upper limits of personal wealth.
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