Billionaire Elon Musk's net worth surpasses South Africa's GDP, makes history

• South African businessman Elon Musk has made history with his net worth, which also surpasses Mzansi's GDP
• Elon Musk's business, SpaceX, witnessed a significant increase in valuation earlier this week
• The country's GDP is also making headlines in the news following the announcement of the wealthiest man in the world

The CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, broke the internet after the announcement of his latest net worth, which is history in the making.

Elon Musk makes history, becomes 1st person worth $400bn

The businessman keeps breaking records and reaching new heights. According to Bloomberg, Elon Musk is the first to have a net worth of USD 400 billion, a remarkable achievement.

According to the publication's Billionaires Index, Elon Musk's wealth increased by 77% after the November elections, reaching USD 447 billion. The sum exceeds the combined net worths of Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos.

This comes after Elon reclaimed his position as the wealthiest person in the world on June 8, 2023, and remained at the top for the rest of the year.

In January 2024, he dropped to number two. After his business, xAI raised $6 billion from private investors at a $24 billion valuation; the X owner once again became the richest person in the world in late May 2024.

Bloomberg also revealed earlier this week that Elon's rocket business, SpaceX, witnessed a significant increase in valuation to roughly USD 350 million, with the company and its investors pledging to buy USD 1.25 billion worth of insider shares. As a result, Musk's net worth increased by USD 62.8 billion in a single day. The businessman's net worth has risen by over USD 218 billion from the start of 2024.

Elon's $100 million investment in X, a social media platform for President-elect Trump, has secured a direct line to the White House and significant influence on government policies and federal agencies overseeing Tesla and SpaceX, with a net worth of over $440 billion.

Elon Musk's net worth officially surpasses South Africa’s GDP

The billionaire's net worth amount is officially more significant than South Africa's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), further solidifying his position as the richest man in the world.

According to the World Bank, the country’s GDP figure stood at $377.78 billion as of 2023. GDP is often used as a reference point for the health of a nation’s economy.

Elon Musk gives Optimus bot a hand with human ability

Briefly News previously reported that South African-born entrepreneur, tech billionaire and US government administration head Elon Musk is applauding his latest invention.

In October, Musk unveiled Optimus, a faceless general purpose, bi-pedal bot known as an autonomous assistant and humanoid friend created by Tesla. At a showcase at the electric car manufacturer's factory at the time, the inventor said the advanced creation could even babysit children.