Tesla
Electric cars, batteries and solar. He has run it since 2008 and is its largest shareholder.
| Fact | Value | Mark | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2003, by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning | a publisher's estimate or a reported figure | Forbes guide to his fortune 22 November 2024 |
| He joined | 2004, as investor and chairman | a publisher's estimate or a reported figure | Forbes guide to his fortune 22 November 2024 |
| His role | Chief executive since October 2008 | a publisher's estimate or a reported figure | Forbes guide to his fortune 22 November 2024 |
| Listed | Nasdaq, June 2010 | a publisher's estimate or a reported figure | Forbes guide to his fortune 22 November 2024 |
| Chairman | Removed as chairman under a 2018 SEC settlement; still chief executive | a publisher's estimate or a reported figure | Forbes guide to his fortune 22 November 2024 |
| His stake | 19.9% of its common stock, counting 413,152,109 shares in his trust and 286,428,773 restricted shares that carry his vote, and leaving out the 2025 performance award | filed with a regulator or stated by the company | His Schedule 13G/A for Tesla, SEC 17 June 2026 |
| Shares in his trust | 413,152,109 common shares | filed with a regulator or stated by the company | Tesla Form 4 filed with the SEC 16 June 2026 |
| Restricted shares held directly | 710,172,677 shares, including the 2025 performance award | filed with a regulator or stated by the company | Tesla Form 4 filed with the SEC 16 June 2026 |
| 2025 performance award | 423,743,904 shares, inside the restricted balance | filed with a regulator or stated by the company | Tesla Form 4 filed with the SEC 16 June 2026 |
| 2018 option exercise | 286,428,773 restricted shares, net | filed with a regulator or stated by the company | Tesla Form 4 filed with the SEC 16 June 2026 |
| Shares he reports owning | 699,580,882 shares, counted on 3,755,723,871 shares outstanding at 16 April 2026 | filed with a regulator or stated by the company | His Schedule 13G/A for Tesla, SEC 17 June 2026 |
| His stake | About 12%, excluding options | a publisher's estimate or a reported figure | Forbes guide to his fortune 22 November 2024 |
| Stake if restricted shares vest | Up to 29%, before taxes and the cost of releasing the shares | a publisher's estimate or a reported figure | Forbes, the ten richest people in the world 1 October 2026 |
| How Forbes counts it | An April 2026 agreement with Tesla restricted $116 billion of his stock, which Forbes removed from its estimate | a publisher's estimate or a reported figure | Forbes on his one-day gain 2 October 2026 |