Elon Musk's net worth returns to $1.04 trillion after $65 billion surge in SpaceX and Tesla shares

Surge past the trillion-dollar threshold

On 5 October 2026, Elon Musk's net worth increased by $65 billion in a single trading day to reach $1.04 trillion (approximately €927 billion), according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The single-day gain of approximately €58 billion returned the 55-year-old entrepreneur to the 13-digit wealth bracket for the first time in three months. Musk's combined stakes in SpaceX and Tesla account for more than 98% of his total net worth, making his fortune closely tied to equities in aerospace and automotive manufacturing. Musk had initially become the first trillionaire in global history in June 2026 following the public market listing of SpaceX on Wall Street. That milestone was short-lived, as investor doubts surrounding the company's valuation prompted a sustained sell-off over the summer months.

Equities rebound at SpaceX and Tesla

The recovery in Musk's fortune stems from coordinated rallies in both of his primary corporate holdings. SpaceX stock has risen 13% since the beginning of October 2026, including a single-day gain of more than 7% on Monday that returned share prices to June 2026 levels. The aerospace company has now rebounded approximately 58% from its lowest valuation point recorded in August 2026. On Sunday, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas issued an investment note describing SpaceX shares as "cheap and getting cheaper". Analysts at Morgan Stanley characterized the company as one of the most accessible vehicles for investors seeking direct exposure to the space, intelligence, and artificial intelligence sectors. Tesla shares simultaneously gained 6.7% over the first week of October after the electric carmaker published third-quarter delivery numbers that exceeded consensus market forecasts.

Summer drawdown and recovery

The October gains reverse a steep decline in Musk's paper wealth that unfolded across mid-2026. By late July 2026, Musk's net worth stood more than $600 billion (around €535 billion) below its all-time high following the SpaceX market debut. According to financial data tracked by Bloomberg, that individual drawdown exceeded the entire accumulated net worth of any other individual ever listed on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Investor skepticism in June and July had focused on whether SpaceX's rapid market capitalization expansion could be sustained by underlying space operations. The subsequent 58% rally between August and October recovered those lost valuations, placing Musk firmly ahead of all other global billionaires on both the Bloomberg index and the Forbes Real Time ranking.

Corporate shifts and political alignments

Alongside the share price recovery, Musk initiated rebranding moves connected to federal policy developments. Donald Trump issued an executive order mandating that federal agencies under his control replace the phrase "artificial intelligence" with the capitalized term "Super Intelligence". Musk publicly endorsed the directive, announcing that he prefers the phrasing and will rename his space venture's AI division from SpaceXAI to SpaceXSI. The financial rebound also coincides with heightened scrutiny over Musk's personal and management practices. An upcoming documentary is scheduled to review his treatment of women in the workplace, following a public separation last week from an employee who is the mother of four of his children.