After SpaceX's stock price surged following its listing on 11/6, Elon Musk became the first person in the world to reach a trillion-dollar fortune. This trillion-dollar milestone was previously reserved for economic indicators like gross domestic product (GDP) or the immense debts of major economies.

If this amount were in one-dollar bills, one trillion bills laid end-to-end would stretch nearly 156 million km. This distance is equivalent to 202 round trips between earth and the moon, with an average distance of 384,000 km, or it could even exceed the 150 million km distance from earth to the sun.

Elon Musk speaking via video link at Nasdaq MarketSite in New York on 12/6. Photo: Reuters

Currently, nearly 8,2 billion people live on earth, according to the latest data from the US Census Bureau. If one trillion USD were divided equally among the global population, each person would receive nearly 122 USD.

With gasoline prices in the United States at nearly 4,11 USD per gallon on 12/6, one trillion USD could buy over 243 billion gallons of fuel, which is nearly 920 billion liters. This far exceeds the nearly 137 billion gallons of gasoline Americans consumed last year.

One trillion USD is double the annual GDP of South Africa, Musk's home country. According to 2026 data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the nation's total output of goods and services is nearly 480 billion USD.

Only about 21 countries worldwide currently have a GDP exceeding the trillion-dollar mark. The United States and China lead this group with over 32,38 trillion USD and 20,85 trillion USD respectively, far surpassing most other economies.

The average selling price for homes in the United States is approximately 403,200 USD, according to the latest data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. With one trillion USD, Musk could purchase nearly 2,5 million homes at that price.

Earth and Moon. Photo: NASA

According to Forbes, the world's second-richest person is currently Google co-founder Larry Page, who possessed a net worth of nearly 295 billion USD as of midday on 12/6.

The combined assets of the four billionaires immediately following Musk on the Forbes list total over 1,04 trillion USD. This influential group includes Google co-founders Larry Page (295 billion USD) and Sergey Brin (272 billion USD), Amazon owner Jeff Bezos (247 billion USD), and Oracle founder Larry Ellison (228 billion USD).

These fortunes can fluctuate by tens of billions of USD daily, or even within hours. Musk's net worth itself has expanded rapidly. According to Forbes, just last year his fortune was 342 billion USD, an increase from 195 billion USD in 2024.

Musk during his trip accompanying US President Donald Trump to Beijing, China, on 14/5. Photo: AP

Musk currently serves as Chairman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Chief Technology Officer of SpaceX. Founded in 2002, the company develops rockets, spacecraft, and satellite services. He holds 4,8 billion company shares, along with options to purchase an additional 350 million shares. In total, the billionaire currently owns 38% of SpaceX's shares. This stake alone is valued at approximately 800 billion USD.

Musk also owns about 12% of Tesla shares. The electric vehicle company currently has a market capitalization of approximately 1,27 trillion USD. In mid-february, he stated that nearly his entire fortune was in Tesla and SpaceX stock. Cash accounted for less than 0,1% of his total assets. Musk also holds stakes in the tunneling company The Boring Company and the brain-computer interface implant development company Neuralink.

Hong Hanh (Source: SCMP)