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Tesla’s Elon Musk is trailblazing the emergence of “green billionaires”
As Tesla reaches new heights and Wall Street firms start acknowledging the electric car maker’s potential, CEO Elon Musk has blazed the trail for a new breed of billionaires across the globe. Interestingly enough, Musk and his fellow billionaires are making their fortune not through non-sustainable commodities like fossil fuels. Instead, they are creating empires established on the shoulders of sustainable energy and renewable technologies.
In a report published on Tuesday, Bloomberg Green noted that as the climate crisis accelerates, the fastest-growing fortunes in the world are now green, thanks in no small part to tycoons like the Tesla CEO who have amassed their wealth amidst the clean energy boom. Musk, for example, saw his net worth soar 622% last year to $199.2 billion, with 91% of that amount (around $180.8 billion) representing his holdings in EV maker Tesla.
So notable was the rise in Musk’s net worth that he recently came the closest of any modern billionaire to matching the inflation-adjusted value of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil empire. In a way, this is almost symbolic, considering that one and a half centuries ago, Rockefeller emerged as the richest person in history by revolutionizing the oil industry. Elon Musk’s emergence as the world’s richest man now means he has a shot at taking Rockefeller’s crown by rendering the oil magnate’s main product obsolete.
Bloomberg notes that Tesla’s remarkable rally in 2020 indicates that the world is now essentially acknowledging the dangers posed by climate change. Together with the election of new US President Joe Biden, an avid advocate of sustainable technologies like electric cars, the renewable energy movement has gained a lot of momentum. The S&P Global Clean Energy Index has soared 231% since April, for example, and the 15 biggest fortunes derived from the climate-solutions industry have totaled $355 billion. That’s over twice the market cap of Royal Dutch Shell Plc and 4x that of BP Plc.
Following Musk as the world’s green billionaires are tycoons from China, such as CATL’s Zeng Yuqun, Huang Shilin, Pei Zhenhua, and Li Ping, whose green net worth stands at $60.7 billion. Chinese executives that are involved in the electric vehicle movement, such as Wang Chuanfu, Lv Xiangyang, and Xia Zuoquan of BYD and Li Bin of NIO, have seen their fortunes rise amidst the widespread adoption of green technology. Anthony Pratt of Pratt Industries, the world’s largest privately-held producer of 100% recycled paper and packaging, and Aloys Wobben, a wind turbine magnate, saw their net worth sit comfortably in the billions as well.
Andy Wong, chief investment strategist of LW Asset Management, described the momentum of the sustainable energy sector in a statement to the publication. “It’s a new generation of growth in the clean energy sector, and it has just started. With the technology upgrades in smart grid and energy storage, the rollout of new products—no matter whether it’s for solar panels or electric vehicles—is faster than before and consumers are also adapting to the upgrades quickly,” Wong said.
Check out Bloomberg Green’s full rankings of the world’s Top 15 Climate Billionaires here.
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The Tesla Semi was spotted mounted with ground truth validation equipment as the company nears its looming launch. The Semi is Tesla’s Class 8 all-electric truck, and has been utilized in its earlier stages by many companies like PepsiCo. and Frito-Lay, who have been using it in a pilot program.
The Semi was spotted in Sunnyvale, California, and sports a typical ground truth validation unit that Tesla routinely uses on its vehicles. Ground truth validation is essentially the process of training supervised algorithms to ensure they can perform reliably. Tesla typically performs this on vehicles that are being released soon:
Spotted the new semi adorned with ground truthing equipment. Haven’t seen anyone post this so figured I’d share.
The future is autonomous!!@SawyerMerritt @wholemars pic.twitter.com/qkPDHPUQZ6
— Danny (@dannywinner1) June 21, 2026
The Semi being spotted with this type of validation rig is important because it means the company is working on solidifying a Full Self-Driving model for its commercial vehicle offering. This would be a massive development for not only Tesla but also the logistics industry as a whole.
There are strict regulations on driving hours for commercial truck drivers, and autonomy is a way to potentially combat these issues. FSD is already a widely effective way that owners of typical passenger vehicles take stress out of travel. Even launching a semi-autonomous platform for truck drivers to use to increase safety, reduce fatigue, and increase productivity would be a huge development.
Tesla Semi gets strange-but-understandable comparison from Jay Leno
The Semi has already proven to be an ideal solution for companies that use commercial logistics. It has increased efficiency and reduced operating costs for many companies that have been able to use it in pilot programs.
There are expected to be some bumps along the way. Tesla saw some challenges with FSD on the Cybertruck, as it had never had a vehicle with cameras at that height, so some of the features with FSD were not immediately available. Just a week ago, Tesla launched Actually Smart Summon (ASS) for Cybertruck, nearly three years after the vehicle was first delivered to customers.
President Donald Trump unveiled an upgraded Boeing 747-8 at Joint Base Andrews on June 19, 2026, describing the Qatar-gifted aircraft as an interim Air Force One equipped with advanced communications systems, including Starlink, Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellite internet service.
The plane, valued at around $400 million and modified for presidential use, serves as a bridge until the delayed VC-25B replacements arrive. Trump highlighted its luxury features and new technology during remarks to service members.
Trump stated:
“We have communication equipment up there that nobody’s ever seen before. It’s the highest level and, uh, including Starlink. My friend Elon is going to be very happy, but, uh, Starlink and we have, uh, four or five different sets of double and triple communications like people haven’t seen.”
He added:
“And it represents what can happen with hard work, innovation, and aggressive timelines because we did this quickly and yet there’s never been communication like is on this plane.”
🚨 President Trump confirmed today that the new Air Force One is equipped with Starlink:
“We have communication equipment up there that nobody’s ever seen before, it’s the highest level and including Starlink…my friend Elon is going to be very happy.” pic.twitter.com/IhkDmtr5hL
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 20, 2026
The aircraft features a redesigned red, white, and blue livery and has been outfitted with Starlink satellite connectivity alongside other secure systems.
Trump praised the plane’s uniqueness, calling it among the world’s most luxurious. The gift from Qatar and subsequent modifications have drawn attention, with the jet positioned as a solution for presidential travel. It is expected to support operations, including potential ceremonial roles such as Fourth of July flyovers.
The event marked the formal introduction of the converted jet, which will help maintain capabilities while the primary Air Force One fleet undergoes modernization. Defense observers note the inclusion of commercial satellite technology like Starlink as part of efforts to ensure resilient communications, crucial to keep the country running as the President is in the sky.
President Trump’s comments underscored appreciation for rapid upgrades and innovation in equipping the aircraft. The plane remains a U.S. government asset and is slated for eventual transfer related to presidential library purposes after its service.
Tesla just gave what is perhaps its biggest signal yet that the launch of the Cybercab, its autonomous ride-hailing-geared car, is imminent.
The Cybercab has been spotted outside of Gigafactory Texas in massive numbers over the past few days, with hundreds of units being stored on property just days after the vehicle received a Certificate of Conformity from the EPA.
Today, things were a bit different.
Cybercabs spotted on Giga Texas property today had an addition: a Cybercab decal on the side, reminiscent of the “Robotaxi” ones that were placed on Model Ys just as the company launched its ride-sharing platform about a year ago.
Giga Texas drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer noticed the change today:
Tesla Cybercabs are now getting “Cybercab” logos on the side of them!
Tesla did the same with Model Ys that were given “Robotaxi” logos: https://t.co/DanANtw1m7 pic.twitter.com/FqOhH0S9Ks
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 19, 2026
Tesla could be signaling that the Cybercab is preparing to enter the Robotaxi fleet in the coming weeks or months with this move. It seems more symbolic than anything; Tesla is ready to throw Cybercabs in the ride-hailing platform just as it did with Model Ys last year.
The addition of the Certificate of Conformity awarded to the Cybercab is another major factor working to Tesla’s advantage. The company now has permission from the EPA to allow the vehicle to operate on public roads and enter the chain of commerce. It’s officially street legal.
Tesla Cybercab specs revealed: range, curb weight, range ratings, and more
The big question that remains is whether Tesla will be able to operate the car without a safety monitor, especially considering it plans to put the car out there without a steering wheel or pedals. With the Cybercab only having a seating capacity of two, it is hard to believe Tesla will even consider putting a Safety Monitor in the car.
It did recently self-certify as Level 4 and has the ability to operate driverless vehicles in the State of Texas under a law that took effect on May 28. You can read more about that here:
Tesla’s Robotaxi dreams just took a massive step toward reality
We’d imagine Cybercabs will be on the roads as soon as July, but August will likely be a better estimate of when the car will be entered into the Cybercab fleet. It all depends at where Tesla is, as they’ve truly prioritized safety with the rollout of the Robotaxi platform.
Tesla Semi spotted with ground truth validation equipment as launch looms
President Trump touts new Air Force One with Musk technology
