AUSTIN, Texas – September 11, 2025 – In a staggering financial upheaval that has left Wall Street reeling, Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, saw $135 billion of his fortune evaporate overnight on September 10, 2025, following a dramatic 30% plunge in Tesla’s stock price. The unprecedented loss, one of the largest single-day wealth drops in history, reduced Musk’s net worth from $384 billion to an estimated $249 billion, briefly ceding his title as the world’s wealthiest person to Oracle’s Larry Ellison. Yet, Musk appeared unfazed, taking to X to dismiss the volatility with a cryptic post: “Money comes and goes, but the mission endures. Something bigger is coming.” The tech titan’s calm demeanor and hints at “mysterious and extraordinary plans” have sparked global intrigue, with speculation mounting about projects that transcend financial gain and aim to reshape humanity itself. This is not the first time Musk’s fortune has plummeted, but his vision—spanning AI, space exploration, and societal transformation—continues to captivate the world.
The catalyst for the $135 billion wipeout was a chaotic market reaction to Tesla’s quarterly earnings report, released after close on September 9. The electric vehicle giant, which accounts for roughly 70% of Musk’s wealth, reported a 15% drop in vehicle deliveries year-over-year, citing supply chain disruptions and softening demand amid rising competition from Chinese manufacturers like BYD. Tesla’s stock, already volatile after a 13% decline in 2025, plummeted from $424.77 to $297.34, slashing its market capitalization from $1.5 trillion to just over $1 trillion. Investors, spooked by Tesla’s warning of delayed Cybertruck production and higher-than-expected costs for its autonomous driving program, triggered a sell-off that rippled across tech markets. The Nasdaq, heavily weighted toward Tesla, fell 4%, with analysts calling it a “reality check” for the EV sector.
Musk’s response, however, was characteristically defiant. Speaking at a SpaceX event in Boca Chica, Texas, hours after the market rout, he brushed off the loss, saying, “Wealth is a means, not the end. I’m building something that will outlast dollars.” His posts on X, where he owns a 54% stake, hinted at projects that “go beyond assets” and aim to “change people.” These cryptic remarks have fueled speculation about Musk’s next moves, with many pointing to his work at xAI, Neuralink, and SpaceX as evidence of a grander vision. “He’s not just chasing profit—he’s chasing legacy,” said tech analyst Sarah Tran, who tracks Musk’s ventures. “This loss, while massive, is a blip for someone playing a galactic game.”
This is not Musk’s first brush with financial volatility. In 2022, he lost $138 billion over several months as Tesla’s stock crashed 65%, earning him a Guinness World Record for the largest personal fortune loss, only to reclaim his top spot by 2024 with a net worth of $408 billion, per Forbes. Earlier this year, a $29 billion drop in a single day followed Tesla’s worst stock performance since 2020, driven by Musk’s controversial political stances and his brief tenure in the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Critics, like former President Bill Gates, have accused Musk of prioritizing personal projects over public welfare, citing cuts to USAID that reportedly led to 300,000 deaths. Yet, Musk’s resilience—rebounding from each setback with bolder ventures—has defined his career.
The $135 billion loss comes at a pivotal moment for Musk, whose influence spans technology, politics, and culture. His recent actions, from donating $1 million to a mural campaign for slain Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska to amplifying conservative causes on X, have cemented his role as a polarizing figure. His statement on the assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University—“The Left is the party of murder”—drew both praise and condemnation, underscoring his willingness to wade into divisive issues. But it’s his “mysterious plans” that have captured the public’s imagination, with X buzzing with theories about what Musk is building that’s “bigger than money.”
At the forefront is xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence company, which recently raised funds at a $200 billion valuation. Sources close to xAI suggest Musk is accelerating development of Grok, an AI designed to rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT, with a goal of achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI) by 2030. “Grok isn’t just a chatbot—it’s a tool to rewrite how humans think and solve problems,” Musk tweeted, hinting at applications that could “redefine human potential.” Posts on X speculate that xAI’s next phase involves integrating Grok with Tesla’s autonomous vehicles and Neuralink’s brain-computer interfaces, creating a seamless ecosystem where AI enhances human cognition and mobility. One user, @TechVisionary, posted, “Musk’s building a world where humans and AI merge. That’s worth more than $135 billion.”
Neuralink, Musk’s brain-computer interface startup, valued at $9 billion, is another piece of the puzzle. Recent trials, announced in July 2025, showed a quadriplegic patient controlling a robotic arm with thought alone, a breakthrough Musk called “the dawn of human augmentation.” The technology, which implants chips to connect the brain to external devices, aims to treat neurological disorders and, eventually, enhance cognitive abilities. Musk has spoken of Neuralink’s potential to “change people” by merging human intelligence with AI, a vision that could address existential threats like AI surpassing human control. Critics, however, warn of ethical risks, with one X user posting, “Musk’s playing God with our brains—$135 billion is nothing compared to that cost.”
SpaceX, Musk’s space exploration company, remains central to his mission of making humanity multiplanetary. Valued at $350 billion, SpaceX is preparing for a 2026 Mars mission, with Musk announcing plans to send an unmanned Starship to the Red Planet by year-end. The company’s Starlink network, now serving 3 million customers across 99 countries, has transformed global internet access, while its contracts with NASA and the Pentagon underscore its strategic importance. Musk’s vision of colonizing Mars, articulated in a recent X post—“A country is its people, not its land”—suggests a future where humanity’s survival depends on interplanetary expansion, not earthly wealth.
The Boring Company, though less prominent, is also gaining traction, with recent pitches to build flood-diversion tunnels in Houston. Meanwhile, Tesla’s Optimus robot, unveiled in a September 2025 demo, has sparked excitement despite its clunky performance. Musk predicted it could sell 10 billion units by 2040, transforming labor and daily life. “Optimus is the physical Agentforce revolution,” he posted, envisioning robots integrated with Grok AI to perform tasks from caregiving to construction. These ventures, while speculative, align with Musk’s pattern of betting on transformative technologies, even at the cost of short-term financial hits.
The public reaction to Musk’s loss and his nonchalant attitude has been polarized. On X, supporters rallied behind him, with #ElonMusk trending alongside posts like, “$135B gone and he’s still dreaming bigger than anyone. That’s why he’s Elon.” Critics, however, accused him of hubris, with one user writing, “He’s gambling with billions while people struggle—tone-deaf.” The financial community is divided, with some analysts predicting Tesla’s recovery if Musk delivers on Full Self-Driving (FSD) promises, while others see the stock’s volatility as a warning sign. “Musk’s wealth is a rollercoaster, but his companies are too big to fail,” said Wedbush Securities’ Dan Ives.
Musk’s personal life, too, remains a lightning rod. Recent reports of a $2.5 million payment to influencer Clair St. Clair, who claims Musk fathered her son Romulus, have fueled tabloid speculation, with Musk admitting uncertainty about paternity but continuing annual payments. His 13 children, including three with Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis, reflect his belief in boosting population growth, a view he reiterated on X: “If this continues, there will be no Japan, just islands where people used to live.” These personal controversies, coupled with his political ties—supporting Trump and clashing with figures like Gavin Newsom—add complexity to his public image.
As Tesla’s stock stabilizes, with a 5% rebound in pre-market trading on September 11, Musk’s focus remains on his long-term vision. His plans, described as “bigger than money,” suggest a future where AI, neural interfaces, and space colonization redefine humanity’s trajectory. The $135 billion loss, while staggering, is a footnote in Musk’s relentless pursuit of transformation. Whether it’s merging minds with machines, colonizing Mars, or automating labor, his projects aim to change not just industries but the human condition. As one X user put it, “Musk’s not worried about billions—he’s betting on trillions and a new species.” For now, the world watches, captivated by a man whose ambitions dwarf even the largest financial setbacks.
