Elon Musk is the richest man on the planet, but what will happen to his fortune when he passes away?
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No matter how much money you have, one day we all have to bid farewell to the world - even billionaires.
When that day comes, their children, partners, and chosen heirs are poised for life-changing windfalls: sprawling property empires, controlling stakes in high-profile companies, and bank accounts that could make even the most hardened Wall Street titan weep.
And, as anyone who’s watched Succession knows, the bigger the fortune, the juicier the potential for family drama.
And while some billionaires have promised to give away most of their fortunes, others have stayed quiet.
But what has Elon Musk done?
At the time of writing, Forbes has Musk's net worth at $411 billion, making him the richest man alive.
Like many ultra-wealthy billionaires, the Tesla CEO has signed the Giving Pledge, per Business Insider.
But in practice, he’s been slow to part with his billions, saying most donations will not happen until nearly 2040, when Tesla reaches a “steady state” (and when Musk will be nearing 70).
If he dies before then, his heirs could inherit tens of billions in Tesla stock.
What would happen to Tesla without Musk is another question entirely.
The $1 trillion company is worth more than its five biggest rivals combined, but much of Tesla’s identity is tied to Musk’s larger-than-life persona.
Without him to drive the narrative, the person inheriting his stake in Tesla may find their shares worth far less than Musk’s own headline-making billions.
Unlike many billionaires, Musk doesn’t have a sprawling property empire to leave behind.
What happens to the social media platform X is unknown, but it'll definitely have a noticeable change after Musk's death due to how hands-on the South African is.
Musk’s personal life is complex enough to make Logan Roy of Succession sweat.
He has two ex-wives - author Justine Wilson and actress Talulah Riley - and is currently single after his split from singer Grimes in 2021.
He has 14 known children, meaning his inheritance will be split quite a few times, although he isn't exactly on talking terms with some of his kids.
But his death is probably a long way off, and if his recent posts on X are anything to go by, he's fairly healthy.
In response to the swirl of speculation, Musk posted drug test results from United States Drug Testing Laboratories on June 17, showing negative results for substances like ketamine, cocaine, methadone, fentanyl, and opiates.
This comes after Donald Trump referred to him as a "big-time drug addict."