WASHINGTON: Tech billionaire Elon Musk topped Forbes’ list of the 400 wealthiest people in the United States on Tuesday, far outstripping the country’s second-wealthiest person.
The magazine estimated Musk’s net worth at more than US$251 billion, far beyond second-place holder, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Forbes said the ex-Amazon CEO is worth roughly US$151 billion, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
Musk’s fortune is US$60.5 billion more than he had in 2021 as the world began to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic and is a new record for the Forbes list.
The bulk of Musk’s riches come from automaker Tesla, the company he co-founded and continues to run.
Musk owns about one-quarter of the company and much of the rest of his net worth can be attributed to space exploration company SpaceX, which quadrupled in value in the past three years, according to Forbes.
Musk’s net worth has crested the US$300 billion mark twice over the past year, thanks largely due to price fluctuations in Tesla stock.
Bezos now owns slightly under 10 per cent of Amazon. – BERNAMA
