The wealth of Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk continues to soar in 2026, reaching new milestones and making him so rich that he could buy every MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL team. A new look at Musk’s wealth compared to the former world’s richest man, Warren Buffett, highlights just how immense the billionaire’s fortune has become.
### Elon Musk vs. Warren Buffett
Bloomberg estimates that Musk is worth $676 billion, ranking him as the richest person in the world. The Tesla CEO has added $57 billion to his wealth so far in 2026. Musk is more than twice as wealthy as the world’s second-richest person, Google co-founder Larry Page, who ranks second with $278 billion.
While being worth more than double the next richest person is a significant milestone, here’s another way to put Musk’s wealth into perspective: Musk is 453.7% richer than Warren Buffett thanks to his impressive year-to-date gains.
### Impact of SpaceX and xAI Merger
The recent merger of SpaceX and xAI has been a major factor boosting Musk’s wealth. The combined company is valued at $1.25 trillion, with Musk owning nearly 42% of it. This merger has brought Musk closer to becoming the world’s first trillionaire.
However, Tesla stock has seen a downturn, with shares down 5.45% year-to-date in 2026, which has somewhat tempered Musk’s overall wealth growth. Looking ahead, a potential SpaceX IPO valuing the company at more than $1.5 trillion, alongside a new pay package from Tesla that could award Musk nearly $1 trillion in shares, may further increase his net worth this year and beyond.
### Warren Buffett’s Wealth and Philanthropy
In contrast, Berkshire Hathaway stock is up a modest 0.5% in 2026, but Buffett’s wealth has declined due to his ongoing philanthropic efforts. His annual donations to charitable causes continue to reduce his net worth in wealth calculations.
For years, Warren Buffett was consistently ranked among the top 10 richest people globally and was the world’s richest person in 2008. However, he has now dropped to 12th place after being surpassed by three Walmart heirs.
### Walmart Heirs Surpassing Buffett
Here are the Walmart heirs currently ranking ahead of Buffett, along with their year-to-date wealth gains:
– **9. Jim Walton:** $153 billion, +$17 billion
– **10. Rob Walton:** $150 billion, +$16.5 billion
– **11. Alice Walton:** $150 billion, +$16.7 billion
Walmart shares have enjoyed a strong year, up 12.8% year-to-date in 2026 and 23.5% over the last 52 weeks.
### The Outlook
Barring any major changes, Musk is expected to remain well ahead of Buffett for the foreseeable future. As the former Berkshire Hathaway CEO continues to donate much of his wealth to charitable causes, Musk’s fortune is only growing.
—
*Photos: Warren Buffett, Elon Musk, courtesy Shutterstock.*
https://www.benzinga.com/markets/large-cap/26/02/50531276/elon-musk-4-5x-richer-than-warren-buffett-former-berkshire-ceo-falls-to-12th-place