finbold.com
Elon Musk emerges as one of the most accomplished entrepreneurs, with a substantial net worth of around $251.3 billion as of December 31, 2023. Naturally, investors are intrigued by Musk’s investment strategies.
Musk’s approach to investments seems clear-cut, especially considering his public disclosures. His investment portfolio consists of companies under his direct influence or ownership and ventures in areas like cryptocurrencies.
Remarkably, Musk chooses not to uphold an extensive collection of publicly traded stocks in companies where he lacks active, day-to-day involvement. In this context, Finbold has compiled the following investment portfolio owned by Musk.
SpaceX
In 2002, Elon Musk founded SpaceX with a mission to revolutionize space technology. Over the years, the company has achieved remarkable milestones, including launching the first private liquid-propellant rocket, Falcon 1, in 2008 and delivering the Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station in 2010.
SpaceX has played a significant role in NASA’s Artemis program, aimed at returning humans to the moon and, ultimately, venturing to Mars. The initial contract with SpaceX for the Artemis program, signed in 2021, amounted to $2.9 billion. The objective is to utilize SpaceX’s Starship vehicles to ferry astronauts from lunar orbit to the moon’s surface. Subsequently, in 2022, another contract valued at $1.15 billion was awarded to SpaceX for its continued involvement in the Artemis initiative.
Tesla Motors
Though not among the founding members, Musk invested $6.3 million in Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) in 2004 and assumed the role of CEO in 2008. Tesla has emerged as a pioneer in sustainable transportation, introducing electric vehicles (EV) such as the Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y. The Cybertruck is the latest addition to the company’s innovative lineup.
It’s noteworthy that the progress of Tesla’s stock played a pivotal role in elevating Musk to the status of the world’s richest person. During the technology stock rally, the company’s stock witnessed a remarkable surge of about 700% in 2020. In the broader context, Tesla remains active in the EV field, with ongoing projects spanning from electric tractor-trailer trucks to the high-performance Roadster supercar.
The Boring Company
In 2017, Musk founded The Boring Company to address traffic congestion by constructing underground tunnels. Despite its name, The Boring Company is far from dull, actively working on solutions to improve urban transportation.
In March 2019, The Boring Company secured approval from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority for a $48.6 million proposal. This plan involved constructing an LVCC Loop underground tunnel, which would run beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center, boasting three stations and a pedestrian tunnel. The project was completed in 2021. The company also actively engages in other projects in Hawthorne, California, and Las Vegas.
X (formerly Twitter)
In a rather unexpected investment move, Musk disclosed in a Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) filing that he had invested $2.9 billion, acquiring a 9% stake in Twitter (now X). Expressing discontent with the platform’s management, Musk declared his intention to acquire the social media giant and transform its algorithm into an open-source system.
This strategic move marked Musk’s entry into the realm of social media and underscored his push to foster free speech on the platform. Eventually, he completed the acquisition of the platform for $44 billion and subsequently renamed it X, reflecting the changes he sought to implement.
xAI
Established in March 2023, xAI represents Musk’s foray into artificial intelligence (AI), having secured $134.7 million in external funding by December of the same year. The company’s immediate objective is to pioneer AI with advanced mathematical reasoning, exemplified by projects such as Grok, an AI chatbot seamlessly integrated with xAI.
Notably, the company’s inception was partly motivated by a desire to compete with OpenAI, the entity responsible for the successful ChatGPT tool. It’s worth mentioning that Musk was among the founders of OpenAI but departed from the company in 2018.
Neuralink
Established in 2016, Neuralink, another brainchild of Musk, focuses on developing implantable brain-computer interfaces. Neuralink aims to create a neural link between brains and computers, initially helping people with quadriplegia interact with digital devices.
Cryptocurrency
Musk’s influence extends into the cryptocurrency space, where he is dubbed the ‘DogeFather’ for his role in popularizing meme coin Dogecoin (DOGE). Musk has also invested heavily in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), with SpaceX and Tesla owning significant amounts of Bitcoin. Musk’s tweets about cryptocurrencies can cause significant market fluctuations, showcasing his impact on digital assets.
Besides the highlighted companies, Musk has also been involved in others, including PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL), DeepMind, and Zip2.