Musk’s wealth jumps $61bn in one day

Elon Musk’s estimated net worth jumped by $61 billion in a single day, reaching $979.7 billion and bringing him close to the $1 trillion mark, according to Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires list.

Musk’s wealth surged as shares of SpaceX and Tesla rose sharply on Friday (October 2). SpaceX shares gained more than 7% to $158.84 after several successful launches within 24 hours, while Tesla shares climbed around 5% to $371.32.

Tesla’s third-quarter deliveries also exceeded analysts’ expectations, with the company delivering 486,532 vehicles. The stronger-than-expected figures helped boost investor sentiment toward the electric-car maker. 

Forbes estimated Musk’s fortune at $979.7 billion at 2:15PM EDT on Friday, up 6.64% from the previous day. He remains at the top of Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires list, with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in second place at an estimated $370.7 billion.