Elon Musk Becomes World’s Richest Person, Surpassing Jeff Bezos

In January 2021, Elon Musk became the world’s richest person, surpassing Jeff Bezos, the founder and former CEO of Amazon. According to Forbes’ real-time billionaires list, Musk’s net worth reached $188.5 billion, while Bezos’ net worth was $187 billion.

Musk’s wealth is primarily derived from his holdings in Tesla, the electric car company he co-founded in 2003 and now serves as CEO. Tesla’s stock price soared in 2020, making it one of the world’s most valuable companies, and Musk’s personal wealth grew accordingly. Musk also has significant holdings in SpaceX, his private space exploration company.

Bezos had held the title of world’s richest person for several years, but his net worth took a hit after he finalized his divorce from his wife, MacKenzie Scott, in 2019. As part of the divorce settlement, Bezos transferred a significant portion of his Amazon stock to Scott, reducing his net worth.

It should be noted that the ranking of the world’s richest people can fluctuate rapidly based on stock market movements and other factors, so the title of “world’s richest person” can change frequently.