Elon Musk has a lot more money than President Donald Trump. In terms of billionaires, their fortunes aren’t even close.
The richest person in the world, Musk has a net worth of over $400 billion, as of July 2, 2025. On the other hand, Trump is valued at a little over $5 billion, meaning Musk is nearly 78 times richer.
While reaching a multibillion net worth is impressive, Trump is still only the 741st wealthiest person in the world, according to Forbes. Keep reading to learn more about how the former friends built their empires.
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Musk’s journey as a serial entrepreneur began 30 years ago, with Zip2. Founded in 1995, the company provided online newspapers with maps and business directories.
He sold Zip2 to now-defunct computer manufacturer Compaq for $307 million in 1999 and proceeded to found online financial services company X.com, which ultimately evolved into PayPal. In 1999, PayPal was sold to eBay in an acquisition valued at $1.5 billion.
By 2002, Musk was serving in a variety of roles at SpaceX, including CEO. He joined the Telsa board in 2004 and became CEO of the electric automaker in 2008. He still holds this title, but has also founded several other companies — SolarCity, The Boring Company and Neuralink Corp.
Additionally, Musk purchased social media company Twitter for $44 billion in October 2022. He served as the company’s CEO until May 2023.
Most recently, Musk joined the Trump administration as the head of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency. His tenure was short term, as he vacated the role in May 2025.
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Before becoming president, Trump was a real estate magnate. In 1971, he took the helm of his father’s real estate development company, rebranding it as the Trump Organization. At present, the private company’s portfolio includes a variety of residential and commercial properties, golf clubs, hotels and a winery.
Trump also owns club Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, which is his private residence, too. The property has been valued at $18-$28 million by the Palm Beach County property appraiser and has an initiation fee of $1 million, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Additionally, Trump owns a nearly 11,000-square-foot triplex in New York City’s Trump Tower, according to Forbes. The penthouse is worth an estimated $52 million.
