Tesla CEO Elon Musk has shattered another financial barrier, becoming the first person in history to achieve a net worth exceeding $700 billion. This unprecedented milestone was reached on Friday, following a significant legal victory that restored a massive compensation package previously voided by the courts.
According to Forbes’ Billionaires Index, Musk’s fortune skyrocketed to approximately $749 billion late Friday. The surge came after the Delaware Supreme Court reinstated his 2018 Tesla stock options, valued at $139 billion. This pay package, originally worth around $56 billion when granted, had been struck down two years prior by a lower court, which termed it “unfathomable.” However, the Supreme Court ruled that rescinding the deal was “improper and inequitable” to Musk.

This latest financial leap places Musk leagues ahead of his closest contemporaries. His net worth is now nearly $500 billion more than that of the world’s second-richest person, Larry Page. Just earlier this week, Musk had already set a record by crossing the $600 billion mark, fueled by speculation surrounding a potential public offering for his aerospace company, SpaceX.
The reinstated pay package aligns with the continued support Musk enjoys from Tesla shareholders. In November, they separately approved a historic $1 trillion pay plan, the largest corporate compensation package ever, endorsing his ambitious vision to pivot the electric vehicle giant into a leader in artificial intelligence and robotics.
This ruling marks a pivotal moment in corporate history, cementing Musk’s position not just as the world’s wealthiest individual, but as a financial titan in a league of his own.