Elon Musk is now tied with Bill Gates as second richest man in the world

By Michelle Toh | CNN Business

Elon Musk’s rocket-like climb up the ranking of the world’s richest men continues.

The Tesla CEO’s net worth soared on Monday as shares of his electric automaker hit a record high, boosting his net worth to $127.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires index, which tracks the world’s 500 wealthiest people.

For a couple of hours that put him slightly above Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft and world’s second-richest person, who was estimated to be worth $127.7 billion. The latest readout from the Bloomberg index has the men tied on $128 billion each.

Musk’s fortunes are directly linked to those of Tesla. His biggest asset is the company’s stock, of which he last owned about 20%, according to Bloomberg.

This year has been very good for the entrepreneur. So far in 2020, Tesla’s stock has shot up almost 524%, helping Musk add more than an estimated $100 billion to his wealth. That’s more than anyone on Bloomberg’s global rich list, the outlet reported.

Gates would likely be an even bigger billionaire if it weren’t for his philanthropy. Years ago, he and his wife, Melinda Gates, famously pledged to donate most of their wealth to charity. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is currently the world’s richest person, with an estimated net worth of $182 billion.

Outside of Tesla, Musk oversees SpaceX, the space exploration firm that recently kicked off a landmark mission with NASA. He’s also a father of six and chairman of the Musk Foundation, an organization that supports research into renewable energy, pediatrics and humans in space.

Some believe there’s still room to run with his company’s stock. Last week, Tesla was accepted into the S&P 500, notching another milestone. It will join the index next month.