Elon Musk has officially become the world's first trillionaire, but he has largely missed the opportunity to address global hunger. The 54-year-old entrepreneur, owner of SpaceX and creator of Tesla, has cemented his status as a cultural icon, particularly among those leaning politically to the far-right. His business empire, often referred to as the 'Muskonomy', wields immense influence.
Musk's Massive Wealth
Musk's stake in SpaceX alone is valued at approximately $866 billion. Combined with Tesla and other assets, his net worth will surpass $1.1 trillion (around £820 billion) when stock trading begins on Friday. He has co-founded Neuralink, a brain implant company, and The Boring Company, a tunneling startup. He also acquired Twitter for $44 billion, rebranding it as X and championing free speech.
The father of 14 was invited to join Donald Trump's executive team after funding his campaign, becoming head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). However, a public dispute over Trump's budget bill led to Musk's resignation. The two exchanged insults on X, coinciding with declining Tesla sales and consumer boycotts. Musk then pledged to refocus on his businesses, and his wealth continues to grow.
Matt Durot, deputy editor at Forbes Wealth, noted: 'The second richest person has been hovering around $300 billion, so about less than one-third of what Musk can potentially be worth tomorrow. And only one other person, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, has ever been worth $400 billion.'
What $1 Trillion Could Buy
Laid end-to-end, one trillion dollar bills could wrap around the equator 3,890 times and reach the sun from Earth. Musk could give every person in the United States $2,917.32, or every person on the planet $121.80. He could erase all government debt interest worldwide, potentially rewriting history. Singapore's entire debt of $1 trillion could be wiped out in one go.
Oxfam estimates that $37 billion is needed annually until 2030 to tackle extreme hunger—a sum Musk can easily afford. He famously tweeted he would donate $6 billion to end world hunger if the UN explained how. The UN responded with a detailed plan to save 42 million lives, but Musk never replied or donated.
Musk could also fund disease eradication. Researchers say malaria could be eliminated with an extra $2 billion annually by 2050, on top of the $4.3 billion already spent each year. UNESCO estimates universal schooling would cost an additional $97 billion annually.
For now, Musk continues to focus on his businesses. JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon called him 'the Edison of our time.'
