How Elon Musk Spends His Billions

Year Purchased: 2010
Estimated Value: $62 million*

SpaceX is Elon Musk’s innovative space exploration company. As the company’s website put it, SpaceX was founded to “revolutionize” the world of “space technology,” and it uses products like the Falcon 9 to do so. SpaceX makes and launches rockets, and Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket that transports satellites and spacecraft.

Falcon 9 Rocket @infinity.explorer.42 / Facebook.com

It’s partially reusable, and both its first and second stages are powered by Merlin engines, which are also made by SpaceX. These engines use rocket-grade kerosene and cryogenic liquid oxygen to propel them. So far, Falcon 9, in all its versions, has had 108 total launches. The reused Falcon 9 costs $12 million less than a new Falcon 9.

The AeroJet competitor doesn’t hesitate to spend millions building its rockets. The Falcon 9 costs $62 million. After a series of shaky launches and setbacks, the Falcon 9 had its most recent successful launch in November of 2020, something CNBC called a “historic milestone” for Musk’s SpaceX. The billionaire’s ultimate goal is to fly people into space on a regular basis. 

Year Purchased: 2016
Estimated Value: $70 million*

FAA records show that Elon Musk has not just one but two Gulfstream Jets. The billionaire never hesitates to put a lot of miles on his jets, so it’s probably for the best that he has two. His shell company, Falcon Landing LLC, was the purchaser of the G550, which sits in the hangar next to its larger sibling, the G660.

Gulfstream Jet @rocketshoot / Pinterest.com | @billionaireassistanceservice / Facebook.com

The new jet can fit seventeen passengers, and the interior of the Gulfstream can reportedly be reconfigured into sleeping arrangements for long flights. The newest G550 will possibly fly to the private village that Tesla is thinking of building on the Texas coast. Currently, the company is buying out village residents to make that happen.

It’s rare that a company will buy an entire village just to take vacations, but that appears to be what’s happening with the little town of Boca Chica, Texas. Boca Chica looks like something out of a Western movie, but, if SpaceX gets its way, it might look like something far more futuristic. 

Year Purchased: 2013
Estimated Value: $1 million* ($100 Original Price)

In 1989, a Long Island couple paid $100 for an abandoned storage unit. It’s not uncommon, as people hope to find something of value in these shuttered units. And that was definitely the case, when the unit was revealed to contain a Lotus Esprit from the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).

Bond Car (Lotus Esprit) @Treehuggerdotcom / Twitter.com

“Wet Nellie,” as it’s known, was custom-built for The Spy Who Loved Me. The Esprit was picked to give Bond a glamorous vehicle, and the name came from “Little Nellie,” which was an autogyro from the movie You Only Live Twice. At the time, Wet Nellie cost $100,000 to make ($458,000 in today’s money).

The couple said they “didn’t really know” what the car was at first, until they had it appraised. Once they did, they restored the vehicle and displayed it at shows until 2013, when the pair decided to sell it. Elon Musk, a huge fan of the action thriller series from MGM Studios, stepped in and paid $1 million for the car, turning the couple’s original $100 purchase into a six-figure score.

Year Purchased: 2020
Estimated Value: $150 billion*

Elon Musk, as mentioned, doesn’t really take a salary from any of his companies. In fact, as records show, he made $0 in salary from Tesla in recent years. However, what he doesn’t make in salary, he more than compensates for in stock owned. He owns 193.3 million shares of Tesla.

Tesla Stock @InsuranceInvestmentPhilippines / Facebook.com

According to CNBC, that 20.7% ownership is worth $150 billion. That’s more than three times as many shares as the next Tesla investor, Capital Research & Management Co., who owns 5.51%. Interestingly, when the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett, was asked if he would become a Tesla investor, he said, simply, “No.” 

Though Berkshire Hathaway won’t touch Tesla, Warren Buffett’s company owns $1.57 billion worth of General Motors stock. The feelings between Buffett and Musk appear to be mutual, as Elon told Business Insider, “I’m not his biggest fan,” describing Buffett and his firm’s investment strategy (reading “annual reports”) as “pretty boring, honestly.”

Year Purchased: Early 2000s 
Estimated Value: $250,000*

Though Elon Musk went on a Twitter rant against fighter jets, saying that the fighter jet wouldn’t “stand a chance” and its era “has passed” because of drones, he still loves the planes, and he’s even owned a few. Musk called the Aero L-39 Albatros “the most fun plane” that he has owned (so far).

Aero L-39 Albatros @AERO_Vodochody / Twitter.com

He flew the plane while he was in the process of founding SpaceX. The Albatros, a rival of the Bell Airacobra during the Cold War, is the plane with which Russian military pilots currently train, though Musk used his Albatros for a far less military pursuit. Though Musk said he “could” get up to eight Gs in the plane, he only flew it to five. 

For those who are interested, the Aero L-39 Albatros is a jet trainer that was originally developed in Czechoslovakia. The Aero was designed in the sixties to replace the Delfin. The aircraft was the first one to have a turbofan power plant. The top speed of the Aero is 466MPH. Each unit costs anywhere from $200,000 to $300,000.

Year Purchased: 2016
Estimated Value: $39.99*

Something you might not know about Elon Musk is that he loves the video game Overwatch. He never ceases to sing Blizzard Entertainment’s praises when it comes to the multiplayer shooter game. In an interview with Y Combinator’s Sam Altman, he said that Overwatch is his main game recommendation, along with Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft.

Overwatch Video Game @GamersDiscussions / Facebook.com

Musk took it a little further, saying that modern gaming has “really neglected” storytelling because it can rely on graphics and visuals to pick up the slack. Clearly, he doesn’t feel that way about Overwatch, which he “highly recommend[s].” You can pop into GameStop and buy Overwatch for $39.99.

The team-based first-person shooter game has gained critical acclaim not only from Musk, but from critics everywhere. They’ve praised it for its diverse appeal and accessibility. During the first year of the game’s release, Blizzard reported more than $1 billion in revenue. After three years, Overwatch boasted more than 50 million players.

Year Purchased: 2019
Estimated Value: $1,500*

The Model Y unveiling, which revealed all the new tech that Tesla had planned for 2019 and beyond, was nearly upstaged by Elon Musk’s $1,500 pair of customized Nike shoes. These custom Nikes had the Tesla logo right above the toe box, and maker DC Custom Sneakers was flooded with orders as a result.

Custom Tesla Nikes @siralexGS @PipsToDollars / Twitter.com

The customized Nike shoes aren’t cheap, costing nearly ten times what your average pair of Jordans cost. DC agreed to create six Limited Edition versions of Musk’s shoe, released intermittently. According to DC, Musk didn’t even order his shoes himself. A Tesla investor and close friend of the billionaire’s had them made as a surprise gift. 

The red-and-black revamped Air Jordan 1 shoes took between seven and ten weeks, according to DeMarco Footwear. DeMarco described the shoes as “iconic,” and, according to the company’s website, there appear to be pairs still in stock right now. DeMarco’s custom shoes include Red Bandana Air Forces, Jordan 1 Lakers, Dior Jordans, and more. 

Year Purchased: 2015
Estimated Value: $10 million*

The Future of Life Institute was created to avoid the nightmare scenario depicted in movies like I, Robot. The logo of Future of Life says that while technology gives life “the potential to flourish,” it also gives us the power to “self-destruct.” The nonprofit organization seeks to “make a difference” and push humanity over the line into flourishing, avoiding self-destruction.

Future Of Life Institute Donation @ocumedia / @futureoflifeinstitute / Facebook.com

This is a goal that Musk clearly agrees with, as he donated $10 million to the Institute. He said that he donated the hefty sum in the hopes of “keeping [artificial intelligence] beneficial for humanity.” Future of Life monitors AI made by companies like Apple, Facebook, IBM, Intel, and more, acting as a whistleblower in the event of red flags.

Richard Dawkins, as well as the late Stephen Hawking, also invested in the Future of Life Institute. According to Future of Life, their goals include making A.I. safety “mainstream” and “kickstarting A.I. safety research.” Musk has never been a fan of artificial intelligence, with Vanity Fair describing him as being on a “crusade to stop the Artificial Intelligence Apocalypse.”

Year Purchased: 2012
Estimated Value: $29 million* ($17 million* Original Price)

Elon Musk has a plan to own no houses, and that plan, because of its unusualness, has been highly-publicized. The Tesla billionaire still has a ways to go before he achieves that goal, as real estate has been a huge source of his income, in addition to his tech companies.

Bel-Air Mansion @thecatisindahat / Pinterest.com

Musk’s reasons for giving away all of his worldly possessions have varied. He has said that he wants to devote more time to Mars and less to Earth. He’s also said that he wants to sell his homes because he wants people to stop “attacking” him for being a billionaire.

The Tesla magnate sold his Bel Air mansion for $29 million, over $12 million more than what he paid for it. The Bel Air mansion was the first house to go, with six more of his Bel Air mansions to likely follow. Though no one in the high-end real estate world took him seriously at first, the publicity was able to net him a buyer. It remains to be seen if his luck will hold for the rest of his homes. 

Year Purchased: 2021 
Estimated Value: $1.3 billion* (At Time of Purchase)

“I am a supporter,” was Elon Musk’s quote about Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency that is slowly but surely gaining traction in the mainstream financial world. Musk added the hashtag #bitcoin onto his Twitter bio, a move that drove up the crypto’s price by approximately 20%. Elon Musk elaborated on his views during a Clubhouse discussion.

Bitcoin ©vasilis asvestas / ©Jaruwan Jaiyangyuen / Shutterstock.com

Though Bitcoin isn’t exactly something you can walk into Target or Walmart and use, Musk said that he believes it is “on the verge of acceptance” by even “conventional finance people.” He acknowledged to Clubhouse that he has to “watch what [he] say[s]” to avoid “moving the market,” but he couldn’t help but reiterate his belief that the cryptocurrency is “a good thing.”

Musk took his words a step further in early February of 2021, when Tesla bought $1.5 billion in Bitcoin. The company also announced that it would be accepting the cryptocurrency as payment for its products. Bitcoin’s price jumped by $2,000, and it has continued spiking, as Musk keeps tweeting the currency’s praises.

Year Purchased: 1999
Estimated Value: $0* Because It’s Totaled ($815,000* Purchase Price)

The McLaren F1 is one of the fastest sports cars in the world—and one of the most exclusive. Produced from 1992 until 1998, only 106 cars were made, and Elon Musk was one of the final buyers, taking delivery of his F1 in 1999. The price at the time was around $815,000, but certain “vintage” F1s can sell at Hagerty for $4.5 million, creating a car that appreciates, instead of depreciates, in price. 

McLaren F1 @omarr_khattab / @autonewssiite / Twitter.com

Musk bought his McLaren right after he founded Paypal, the sale of which would make him a billionaire. Musk used his F1 as a daily driver, putting 11,000 miles on the silver bullet until he later totaled it, making its current estimated value, sadly, $0.

In 1994, Autocar stated that the F1 was the “finest driving machine” ever built for “public roads.” The F1 is one of the world’s fastest naturally-aspirated cars. It’s in the same league as the Aston Martin One-77 and Ferrari Enzo, even though the McLaren is seventeen and ten years older than both models, respectively.

Year Purchased: 2018
Estimated Value: $500-$1,000*

Rocker Grimes is Elon Musk’s girlfriend, and she’s never been the high fashion type. The singer, however, stayed true to her metal roots while still supporting her boyfriend’s company in 2018, when she wore a Tesla choker to the Met Gala. The “T” from the Tesla logo is a cross-section of a motor designed by the famed physicist, Nikola Tesla.

Grimes Tesla Necklace ©Neilson Barnard / Gettyimages.com

Who knew it could make such a cute choker? The theme for the 2018 Met Gala was “Heavenly Bodies,” and Grimes came wearing what Vanity Fair called “full-on space vampire” gear. Somehow, the rocker made the Tesla choker fit flawlessly into her outfit. Comparable forged-iron chokers cost anywhere from $500 to $1,000.

It was actually at the 2018 Met Gala that Musk and Grimes made their first appearance together as a couple. Two years later, Musk tweeted the happy news that he and Grimes were expecting a son together. Famously, they named their son X Æ A-XII, which is pronounced “X Ash A Twelve.”

Year Purchased: 2018
Estimated Value: Unknown 

One of the tensest moments in the world was the Mae Sai, Thailand cave rescue in 2018. Twelve soccer players and their coach were trapped in a cave in Thailand after a freak monsoon caused flooding that swept them in. The group of thirteen (twelve boys and their coach) had been performing an initiation ceremony in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave when the monsoon rains caused the cave to flood. 

Submarine to save Thai kids ©Kevork Djansezian / Gettyimages.com | @komraddiet / Twitter.com

They were trapped in a chamber 2.5 miles from the mouth of the cave, and oxygen levels dropped to dangerously low levels.  It took days, but all members of the group were rescued alive.

The cave rescue dominated NBC, CNN, Fox, and major networks’ headlines for weeks. Elon Musk, watching the news like the rest of us, immediately designed a mini-submarine to try to aid rescuers. Rescuers tested the sub, but they found that the cave was too narrow and the submarine “not practical.” Musk left his invention in Thailand in case it could be of use in the future.

Year Purchased: 2010
Estimated Value: $4,764-$12,713* (Current Value)

It was Elon Musk’s Audi Q7 that led him to put falcon wing doors on his Model S. The inventor said that he wanted to create a car where the doors would open even in tight spaces, allowing passengers to access the third row of seats without lowering the second row, an idea inspired by the Q7.

Audi Q7 ©Grzegorz Czapski / Shutterstock.com

The Q7 does seem to be quite well-liked by consumers, with Car and Driver rating it an 8/10. The Q7’s 2021 iteration has an 8.1/10 rating on U.S. News & World Report and an 8.1/10 rating on Edmunds. The car is a little pricey, costing around $54,950. It gets 248HP.

Musk’s Q7 is far from the only car he owns. He also owns a Ford Model T, ’67 Jaguar Series 1 E-Type Roadster, Hamann BMW M5, Porsche 911, and nearly a dozen more. All in all, his fifteen-car collection is likely worth tens of millions of dollars.