Jun 24, 2026
Has the trillionaire era officially begun? Elon Musk became the first person to achieve the status thanks to his massive stake in SpaceX.
The company’s public debut on June 12 pushed Musk’s net worth up to $1.1 trillion. But are there more trillionaires in the making?
Advertisement
To put the sheer size of his wealth into perspective, Musk now has enough money to pay off the credit card debt of every American, erase all medical debt and student loans, end world hunger and mail every American a $1,000 check and still have $1.9 trillion left over.
Thanks for subscribing!
Read the best of Moneywise in 5 minutes or less.
By signing up, you accept Moneywise Terms of Use, Subscription Agreement, and Privacy Policy.
He has more money than the entire annual state economy of Pennsylvania and Illinois, annual funding for Medicare, the valuation of Berkshire Hathaway and the annual economies of both the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia.
He is now worth more than Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos combined.
So, is there anyone who can climb to his trillionaire status? Prediction markets seem to think so.
Want to make a bet?
Speculators on the prediction market app Kalshi are betting Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will become the world’s second trillionaire. According to Forbes, his net worth is just under $200 billion, meaning he’d have to quadruple his money to hit the status. But betters are giving him a 32% chance of achieving the trillionaire title.
The bets related to this question are set to expire in 2033. That means Zuckerberg has about 7 years to become a trillionaire. Event contracts related to this question are low, with just over $7,500 traded.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had the next best odds. He has a 21% chance of hitting the target with his net worth at just over $174 billion. Finally, Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Technologies, has the third-best chance at 6%. Interestingly, Dell has a higher net worth than both Zuckerberg and Huang, with $231 billion.
Must Read
- The ultra-rich use these 5 real estate strategies to build wealth while they sleep — you can start with just $100
- Here’s the average income of Americans by age in 2026. Are you keeping up or falling behind?
- Insurance companies profit most from drivers who auto-renew without shopping around. Comparing 100+ quotes takes 2 minutes and costs nothing
Join 250,000+ readers and get Moneywise’s best stories and exclusive interviews first — clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.
Are trillionaires the future?
For many, trillions of dollars may seem like an unfathomable amount. But research suggests Musk’s achievement may not be a one-off event.
A January 2025 report from Oxfam estimated the world will see five trillionaires within a decade. The forecast came just one year after the organization predicted there would be only one trillionaire within a decade, and before Musk reached the milestone.
Advertisement
According to the report, billionaire wealth increased by $2 trillion in 2024, while 204 new billionaires were created.
On average, billionaires saw their fortunes grow by $2 million a day. For the world’s 10 richest billionaires, including Zuckerberg, Huang and Dell, wealth increased by roughly $100 million a day. Oxfam predicts that if those trends continue, four more trillionaires could emerge within a decade.
Who those other four trillionaires might be, or whether they’ll emerge at all, remains to be seen.
For now, Zuckerberg remains hundreds of billions of dollars away from joining Musk in the trillionaire club. With his current holdings, he’d likely need to see Meta’s value grow dramatically to reach the status. The tech company is investing heavily in AI infrastructure and products, with most of its $125 billion to $145 billion in 2026 capital expenditures directed toward the technology. If those investments pay off, Meta’s valuation could increase substantially.
The same forces that helped cement Musk’s trillionaire status, technological innovation, soaring company valuations and concentrated ownership stakes, continue to reshape the fortunes of the ultra-wealthy. If those trends persist, the age of trillionaires may be just beginning.
You May Also Like
- JP Morgan sees gold hitting $6,000/oz before 2027 — and a Gold IRA lets you hold the physical metal while deferring the tax bill. Get your free guide from Priority Gold
- Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake — here’s what it is and the simple steps to fix it ASAP
- Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how
- Millionaires under 43 are reshaping investing — just 25% of their portfolios are in stocks. Here’s where their money is going
Rinna Diamantakos is an assigning editor at Moneywise.com. A versatile journalist, she has experience as a writer, editor and producer. Her work has focused on politics, business and financial news.
