"Surpassing Taiwan's GDP": World's Richest Person in History—"Could Spend 41 Billion Won Every Day for 100 Years and Still Have Money Left"

Elon Musk, who once declared he would "go to Mars," has become the wealthiest person in human history following the first day of trading for SpaceX on the Nasdaq.

With the public listing of SpaceX, Musk has reached a personal net worth of $1 trillion, equivalent to approximately 1,500 trillion won.

The scale is so immense that it can be compared to the GDP of entire nations; it far exceeds the GDP of Taiwan, Singapore, Ireland, and Sweden, and is on par with that of Switzerland.

Even when compared to the world's wealthiest individuals, his fortune is overwhelming—three times that of Google co-founder Larry Page, who ranks second, and seven times that of Warren Buffett.

Bloomberg reported that Musk has amassed a fortune so vast that even if he spent 41 billion won every day for 100 years, he would not be able to exhaust it. He could potentially acquire every major automotive company in the U.S., Europe, and Japan, including General Motors and Toyota, and could cover the annual budget of NASA with just 3% of his net worth.

Furthermore, as SpaceX debuted as the world's 6th largest company by market capitalization on its first day of trading, Musk has established himself as an entrepreneur leading two of the top 10 companies by market cap, alongside Tesla, which ranks 8th.

The employees of SpaceX have also hit the jackpot following the listing.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the net worth of SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell and CFO Bret Johnsen has exceeded $1 billion, or 1.5 trillion won, and that more than 4,400 employees, including technical staff, have become millionaires.

As the listing concluded successfully, Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal reported that JPMorgan, one of the lead underwriters for the IPO, held a lavish celebration in New York's financial hub, Wall Street.

However, some point out that the fervor surrounding the SpaceX listing, which has heated up Wall Street, is disconnected from the economic reality felt by ordinary Americans.

Reuters criticized the situation, noting that while the public feels economic anxiety due to slowing consumer spending and growing concerns over inflation, Wall Street is in a festive mood, highlighting an deepening polarization.

Reported by Kim Jin-u | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.