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Elon Musk’s Rise to Riches: How quickly the Tesla CEO Climbed the Wealth List

Elon Musk custom Tesla-branded Nike shoes (Credit: DMCustomSneakers via Instagram)

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk is the Richest Person in the World. But how did he get there? It wasn’t easy, but Musk’s rise to riches was quick as Tesla climbed in market capitalization, which fueled the CEO’s net worth gain.

Musk officially passed Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos for the number 1 spot on January 7th, after Tesla’s stock surged to over $789.00 a share, sending the Tesla frontman’s net worth to astronomical levels. Musk’s net worth sat north of $190 billion at the time.

It wasn’t always that way, though. Musk and Tesla had to overcome several bottlenecks throughout the years. Lack of funding, production issues, and general challenges in starting a company were things that Tesla had to overcome. Luckily, it did. It is the most valuable car company on Earth, and it is the sixth-most valuable company ever.

However, three years ago, Musk wasn’t even close to being the richest person in the world. He only had a net worth of $19.9 billion, which was 147% shy of Bezos, who enjoyed a $131 billion fortune at the time, Uswitch data shows.

In 2020, Musk’s net worth climbed to $129.8 billion, and he passed long-standing names on the list like Buffett and Gates. Even Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had fallen behind the Tesla CEO. However, Bezos and Amazon were flourishing, especially as in-store shopping had slowed and online deliveries of consumer goods grew, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Fast forward to 2021, and Tesla has continued to surge upward. Fueled by the news of the company reaching its 500,000 vehicle delivery and production guidance that it set for 2020, the stock continued to become more expensive, only fueling Tesla’s valuation.

Tesla reaches 500,000 production and delivery goal for 2020

Now, Musk sits at the top of the list, 5.2% richer than Bezos, who held the #1 spot from 2017 to 2021.

Incredibly, Musk, who didn’t seem to give much thought to his new title, immediately went back to work as many challenges lie ahead. Tesla plans to open two new production facilities in 2021 in Texas and Germany, and the company also has plans to begin operations in India.

Tesla has become incredibly popular worldwide, and its vehicles are dominating sales figures everywhere. Data from the EV Sales Blog shows that the Model 3 is the main reason for Tesla’s global success as its affordable price point and superior EV tech continues to inspire people to switch to an EV. It was the most popular vehicle in Norway in December 2020, a country with a higher market share of EVs in 2020 than gas-powered cars. It was also China’s most popular electric vehicle, selling over 116,000 units within the first 11 months of the year.

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Moving forward, Musk’s mission hasn’t changed since his early days at Tesla. The focus still remains on accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy, and thanks to the company’s lineup of sustainable cars, the mission has been an overwhelming success thus far.

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Tesla Cybertruck takes a bump from epic failing Dodge Charger

The Cybertruck seemed unharmed by the charging Charger.

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Credit: Hammer_of_something/Reddit

There comes a time in a driver’s life when one is faced with one’s limitations. For the driver of a Dodge Charger, this time came when he lost control and crashed into a Tesla Cybertruck–an absolute epic fail. 

A video of the rather unfortunate incident was shared on the r/TeslaLounge subreddit.

Charging Charger Fails

As could be seen in the video, which was posted on the subreddit by Model Y owner u/Hammer_of_something, a group of teens in a Dodge Charger decided to do some burnouts at a Tesla Supercharger. Unfortunately, the driver of the Charger failed in his burnout or donut attempt, resulting in the mopar sedan going over a curb and bumping a charging Cybertruck.

Ironically, the Dodge Charger seemed to have been parked at a Supercharger stall before its driver decided to perform the failed stunt. This suggests that the vehicle was likely ICE-ing a charging stall before it had its epic fail moment. Amusingly enough, the subreddit member noted that the Cybertruck did not seem like it took any damage at all despite its bump. The Charger, however, seemed like it ran into some trouble after crashing into the truck.

Alleged Aftermath

As per the the r/TeslaLounge subreddit member, the Cybertruck owner came rushing out to his vehicle after the Dodge Charger crashed into it. The Model Y owner then sent over the full video of the incident, which clearly showed the Charger attempting a burnout, failing, and bumping into the Cybertruck. The Cybertruck owner likely appreciated the video, in part because it showed the driver of the Dodge Charger absolutely freaking out after the incident.

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The Cybertruck is not an impregnable vehicle, but it can take bumps pretty well thanks to its thick stainless steel body. Based on this video, it appears that the Cybertruck can even take bumps from a charging Charger, all while chilling and charging at a Supercharger. As for the teens in the Dodge, they likely had to provide a long explanation to authorities after the incident, since the cops were called to the location.

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Anti-Elon Musk group crushes Tesla Model 3 with Sherman tank–with unexpected results

Ironically enough, the group’s video ended up highlighting something very positive for Tesla.

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Credit: Led By Donkeys/X

Anti-Elon Musk protesters and critics tend to show their disdain for the CEO in various ways, but a recent video from political action group Led By Donkeys definitely takes the cake when it comes to creativity.

Ironially enough, the group’s video also ended up highlighting something very positive for Tesla.

Tank vs. Tesla

In its video, Led By Donkeys featured Ken Turner, a 98-year-old veteran who served in the British army during World War II. The veteran stated that Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, is “using his immense power to support the far-right in Europe, and his money comes from Tesla cars.” 

He also noted that he had a message for the Tesla CEO: “We’ve crushed fascism before and we’ll crush it again.” To emphasize his point, the veteran proceeded to drive a Sherman tank over a blue Tesla Model 3 sedan, which, of course, had a plate that read “Fascism.” 

The heavy tank crushed the Model 3’s glass roof and windows, much to the delight of Led By Donkeys’ commenters on its official YouTube channel. But at the end of it all, the aftermath of the anti-Elon Musk demonstration ended up showcasing something positive for the electric vehicle maker.

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Tesla Model 3 Tanks the Tank?

As could be seen from the wreckage of the Tesla Model 3 after its Sherman encounter, only the glass roof and windows of the all-electric sedan were crushed. Looking at the wreckage of the Model 3, it seemed like its doors could still be opened, and everything on its lower section looked intact.

Considering that a standard M4 Sherman weighs about 66,800 to 84,000 pounds, the Model 3 actually weathered the tank’s assault really well. Granted, the vehicle’s suspension height before the political action group’s demonstration suggests that the Model 3’s high voltage battery had been removed beforehand. But even if it hadn’t been taken off, it seemed like the vehicle’s battery would have survived the heavy ordeal without much incident.

This was highlighted in comments from users on social media platform X, many of whom noted that a person in the Model 3 could very well have survived the ordeal with the Sherman. And that, ultimately, just speaks to the safety of Tesla’s vehicles. There is a reason why Teslas consistently rank among the safest cars on the road, after all.

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Tesla Model 3 driver is using FSD to travel to Mt. Everest Base Camp

The ambitious, nearly 4,000-kilometer (2,485-mile) Tesla FSD journey is being livestreamed on Chinese social media.

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Credit: Douyin 老高懂电车

Count on Tesla drivers in China to push Full Self Driving (FSD) as far as it could go. As could be seen in videos posted on Chinese social media, a brave Model 3 owner is currently going on an epic journey from Henan Province to the base camp of Mt. Everest on FSD.

Recent posts from the Model 3 driver suggest that the ambitious destination may be within reach.

Epic FSD Journey

As noted by Tesla owner-enthusiast Aaron Li, the journey from Henan Province to the base camp of Mt. Everest spans almost 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles). The journey itself is epic, with stunning vistas and roads that require some drivers to bring oxygen canisters with them. The fact that it is being done using FSD makes it extra impressive. 

Based on the videos that have been recently shared, the Model 3 running FSD seems to be nearing the Everest Base Camp. There seems to be a good chance that the Tesla Model 3 may reach its destination this Friday.

Previous Everest Trips

This is not the first time that a Tesla has driven to Mt. Everest’s base camp.  That would be a Model 3 that was driven in September 2020. That vehicle, which went on a long 5,500 km (3,400-mile) journey, was manually driven to its destination. 

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In April 2021, Tesla China announced that it has completed the buildout of 11 Supercharger stations in the picturesque route from Chengdu to Tingri. This route would allow drivers to reach the base camp of Mt. Everest. Sure enough, in July 2022, Tesla China shared a video of two Teslas—a Model X and Model Y—reaching the Everest base camp without any issues. Numerous other Tesla drivers have since taken on the long, picturesque journey.

Check out this Tesla Model Y’s journey to the Mt. Everest base camp in the video below.

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