SpaceX’s stock market debut may have made Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire, but the rocket company is just one part of a sprawling business empire that stretches from electric cars and artificial intelligence to brain implants and underground transportation systems.Over the years, many of Musk’s projects have become increasingly interconnected. Earlier this year, he merged SpaceX with artificial intelligence company xAI. He also continues to hold leadership positions in several companies while maintaining ownership stakes in others.Here’s a look at the companies that make up Musk’s empire.
SpaceX
Musk founded SpaceX in 2002 and serves as its CEO.The company has expanded beyond rockets. It owns satellite communications service Starlink, which generated operating revenues of $4.4 billion last year. SpaceX also includes social media platformBoth xAI and X remain loss-making companies. xAI lost $6.4 billion in operations last year, while SpaceX reported a total operating loss of $2.6 billion.
Despite those losses, investor enthusiasm helped SpaceX complete the largest initial public offering in history. The stock closed at just under $161 per share on Friday, giving the company a market value of about $2.1 trillion.Supporters see SpaceX as a future leader in artificial intelligence and space exploration, with ambitions ranging from orbital data centers to human settlement on Mars. Critics argue that many of these goals rely on unproven technology and large future investments.
Tesla
Musk has been CEO of Tesla since 2008. The electric car maker has faced increasing competition, especially from Chinese automaker BYD, which overtook Tesla last year as the world’s largest electric car manufacturer.Tesla has also faced a consumer boycott linked to Musk’s political views, though sales have since recovered.Musk has repeatedly argued that Tesla’s long-term future lies not only in selling vehicles but also in operating self-driving taxi services.The company has also expanded into robotics and solar energy. Tesla entered the solar energy space through its acquisition of SolarCity, a company founded by Musk and two of his cousins.Tesla went public in 2010, and today its market cap is about $1.5 trillion, according to an AP report.
Neuralink
Musk also serves as CEO of Neuralink, the brain-computer interface company he co-founded in 2016. Neuralink is developing technology designed to connect the human nervous system to machines.The company is conducting clinical trials involving people with spinal cord injuries, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other conditions. In January, Neuralink said it had 21 trial participants worldwide.
the Boring company
Musk founded The Boring Company to focus on building tunnels and underground transportation systems.Its most famous project is the Vegas Loop, a network of underground Tesla transportation tunnels opening around the Las Vegas Convention Center in 2021.The company has also proposed tunnel projects in Dubai and Nashville. However, it has faced criticism over environmental and safety issues in Las Vegas, while some local officials in Nashville have also raised concerns.
PayPal and Musk’s early projects
Musk’s original fortune came from two earlier ventures, Zip2 and PayPal, which were originally known as X.com. Both companies were sold decades ago, generating about $200 million for Musk.These proceeds helped fund the creation of SpaceX and supported his early investment in Tesla, laying the foundation for the business empire that would eventually make him the world’s first trillionaire.
