Elon Musk loses $13 billion in 24 hours after SpaceX Starship explosion

Elon Musk experienced a significant loss in his personal fortune of nearly $13 billion on Thursday. This was attributed to two events that occurred on the same day. The first was the explosion of a SpaceX rocket, which garnered worldwide attention.

The second was Tesla’s disappointing quarterly earnings report, which resulted in a nearly 10% decline in the company’s share price. As a result, Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index reported that Musk’s net worth had decreased by $12.6 billion on that day.

Musk’s wealth is primarily derived from his ownership of shares in Tesla. The decline in the company’s share price resulted in a loss of $58 billion from its market capitalization. Tesla’s first-quarter net income for 2023 was reported to be $2.51 billion, representing a 24% year-over-year decline.

In an effort to increase demand for its vehicles, Musk, the CEO of Tesla, suggested the company would continue its price-cutting spree, despite the squeeze on margins. This announcement further increased investor concerns.

On Friday, Tesla hiked U.S. prices, reversing six price cuts made earlier this year. Despite this move, investors remain cautious about the company’s future profitability.

On Thursday, Tesla’s underwhelming earnings report rattled investors, causing concerns about the company’s future profitability. However, Musk’s name also made headlines globally due to the explosion of SpaceX’s mammoth Starship rocket during its maiden flight. Musk stated that he had learned a lot from the launch and indicated that the next test launch would take place within months.

Musk’s wealth has surged significantly over the last decade, primarily due to the astronomical growth in Tesla’s share prices, which increased by over 4,000% since their initial public offering (IPO) ten years ago. Additionally, he owns more than 40% of the existing shares in SpaceX, which was privately valued at $137 billion earlier this year, according to CNBC.

Despite the recent setbacks, Musk remains optimistic about the future of his companies. SpaceX is currently working on several ambitious projects, including the Starship program, which aims to take humans to Mars.

Similarly, Tesla is focusing on expanding its production capabilities to meet increasing demand for electric vehicles. It remains to be seen how these ventures will pan out, but Musk’s track record suggests that he is capable of pushing the boundaries of innovation and achieving remarkable success.

Despite being one of the wealthiest individuals globally, Elon Musk’s net worth has plummeted due to several challenges faced by his companies, particularly Tesla, and his acquisition of Twitter.

In 2021, Forbes named him the richest person in history, with a fortune nearly reaching $300 billion. However, according to Bloomberg, Musk’s net worth has now dropped to $164 billion.

A year ago, his net worth was estimated to be $260 billion, indicating a significant decline. Even though he still holds the second spot for the world’s wealthiest person, the gap between him and Bernard Arnault, the founder of luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, has widened in recent months.

Musk’s declining net worth may be attributed to the slower sales of Tesla vehicles and the associated decrease in share prices. Furthermore, Musk’s acquisition of Twitter may have played a role in this decline, as the platform has faced criticism for being a breeding ground for misinformation and controversy.

Despite these setbacks, Musk remains a prominent figure in the tech and business communities, and his ongoing projects with SpaceX and Tesla continue to be watched with great interest.

Tesla’s stock has experienced significant fluctuations over the past year, with a decline of approximately 52% in its value. However, since the beginning of this year, much of the stock’s deepest losses have been recovered, and the company’s shares have gained 50% since January.

Despite this recovery, some market watchers suggest that Musk’s net worth could still face a significant blow. Following the underwhelming earnings report on Thursday, several analysts lowered their price targets for Tesla.

One analyst predicted that the company’s shares could plummet to just $28, while another labeled Tesla as “one of the most overvalued” companies on the market, predicting an 80% drop in the stock price.

Musk’s net worth has been propelled to the top of Bloomberg’s global wealth ranking due to Tesla’s meteoric rise in share prices since the company’s IPO, along with the success of his other companies like SpaceX. A decade ago, his net worth was a mere $2.7 billion, according to Forbes.

However, the recent challenges faced by Tesla, including slowing sales and concerns about the company’s valuation, have resulted in a significant decline in Musk’s net worth. Nevertheless, Musk remains a highly influential figure in the tech and business communities, and his ongoing projects with Tesla and SpaceX continue to be closely watched by investors and industry analysts.

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