Surprising, Elon Musk’s former partner famously claimed that the billionaire lives a “below poverty line” lifestyle. Amid all this, we take a look at what the world’s richest person splurges his billions on — from fancy mansions to eccentric auto choices and controversial charity choices.
What does world’s richest person Elon Musk spend on?
Elon Musk, who runs Tesla, SpaceX and Neuralink among other companies, became the first person in history to hit the $500 billion personal wealth milestone in October 2025.
When it comes to his home, in a post on X (then Twitter) in 2021, Elon Musk said he lives in a prefabricated Texas home worth $50,000; and his former partner and singer Grimes told Vanity Fair in an interview that his lifestyle is “below poverty line”.
“Bro does not live like a billionaire. Bro lives at times below the poverty line. Once, he refused to buy a new mattress,” she told the magazine, despite her side having a hole.
Cars and planes: What Elon Musk’s collection boasts
Over the years, Elon Musk has owned some notable cars, including the 20th century Ford Model T vehicle, according to a BBC report. The car’s revolutionary production line up is credited with making automobiles affordable for buyers.
This is not the only “unusual” car, he also owns the 1976 Lotus Esprit from the 1977 James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me, which can turn into a submarine, it added.
His collection has also included a 1967 Jaguar E-Type Roadster, a 1997 McLaren F1, and a Tesla Roadster — which he fired into space in 2018, the report said.
Elon Musk has also shelled out millions for personal aircrafts, and in a 2022 TED interview said he needed a private plane to have more hours to do work. The BBC report said he owns multiple Gulfstream models (each worth tens of millions).
Home situation: Mansions, pre-fab home and homeless?
While he now has one Texas home to his name, Elon Musk’s real estate holdings were not always so modest, the report added.
In 2019, the Wall Street Journal reported that he shelled out a whopping $100 million buying seven houses over seven years (including a ranch house once owned by Willy Wonka actor Gene Wilder), all near each other in California’s prestigious Bel-Air neighbourhood of Los Angeles.
As of June 2025, besides his primary Texas residence, Elon Musk still owns Wilder’s three bedroom house in Bel Air. He did try to sell it to the actor’s nephew, Jordan Walker-Pearlman on a loan, but retook possession after repayments fell through, the BBC report noted.
Then in 2022 he said that he does not own a home and stays at friend’s houses, something also shared by former Google CEO Larry Page, who in 2015 told media that Elon Musk is “kind of homeless” and asks friends if he can come over to sleep for the night.
Charity under criticism: ‘Haphazard, self-serving…’
Elon Musk’s approach to charity has garnered much criticism. According to a New York Times report in 2024, the Musk Foundation’s tax filings showed that it has for three years failed to donate the required amount. The organisation’s website states that it supports “advancing humanity’s progress through ground-breaking scientific research, technological innovation, and ambitious endeavours that push the boundaries of what is possible”.
Further, while US regulatory documents show the billionaire has given billions in shares to charities, the NYT report added that most of these went to organisations linked to Elon Musk himself, as per the foundation’s tax reports. The NYT has called his donations “haphazard and largely self-serving — making him eligible for enormous tax breaks and helping his businesses”.
The BBC said it has reached out to Elon Musk and the Musk Foundation on the matter.
