American billionaire Elon Musk has become the first person in history to see his wealth exceed $800 billion following the acquisition of his artificial intelligence startup xAI by SpaceX. According to Forbes estimates, this deal, which valued the new company at $1.25 trillion, increased Musk's wealth by $84 billion, reaching a record high of $852 billion. Prior to the deal, Musk owned a 42% stake in SpaceX, valued at $336 billion, based on a takeover offer launched in December that valued the private rocket manufacturer at $800 billion. He also owned a 49% stake in xAI, valued at $122 billion, based on a private funding round that valued the company at $250 billion earlier this month. In March of this year, Musk announced the merger of his artificial intelligence-focused company, xAI, with his social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) in a deal that valued xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion (roughly the amount Musk paid for Twitter in 2022, excluding debt).
