Ask Onix
Elon Musk's frugal lifestyle contrasts with half-trillionaire status
Despite becoming the world's first half-trillionaire, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk insists he lives modestly, at times even below what might be considered middle-class standards. His former partner, musician Grimes, reinforced this claim in a 2022 interview with Vanity Fair, stating, "Bro does not live like a billionaire. Bro lives at times below the poverty line." She recounted instances like Musk refusing to replace a mattress with a hole in it, despite his vast wealth.
From luxury estates to a $50,000 prefab home
Musk once owned a sprawling real-estate portfolio, including seven high-end properties in Bel-Air, California, collectively worth over $100 million. These estates featured amenities like swimming pools, a tennis court, and a private library-one even belonged to late actor Gene Wilder. However, in 2020, Musk announced on Twitter his intent to sell "almost all physical possessions," declaring, "Possessions just weigh you down."
By 2021, he claimed his "primary home" was a $50,000 prefabricated house near SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas. A year later, he asserted he owned no home at all, often staying in friends' spare bedrooms-a habit dating back to at least 2015, when then-Google CEO Larry Page noted Musk's tendency to couch-surf. "He'll email and say, 'I don't know where to stay tonight. Can I come over?'" Page recalled.
The exception: Gene Wilder's former home
Musk made one exception to his divestment: Wilder's former ranch house. After selling it to Wilder's nephew, Jordan Walker-Pearlman-with a multi-million-dollar loan-Musk reclaimed ownership in June 2025 following reported payment defaults. His 2020 tweet stipulated the property "cannot be torn down or lose any of its soul."
Lavish spending on cars and jets
While frugal in housing, Musk indulges in unique vehicles and private aviation. His car collection includes a 1976 Lotus Esprit-the submarine-transforming "Wet Nellie" from the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me-purchased for nearly $1 million in 2013. Other notable cars: a Ford Model T, a 1967 Jaguar E-Type Roadster, and the Tesla Roadster launched into space in 2018. He also owns a fleet of Gulfstream jets, justifying the expense as essential for maximizing work hours across Tesla and SpaceX sites.
"If I don't use the plane, then I have less hours to work," Musk told TED's Chris Anderson in 2022.
Philanthropy under scrutiny
Musk has donated billions in shares to charity, but his philanthropy faces criticism. The New York Times labeled it "haphazard and largely self-serving," noting tax benefits and donations to Musk-linked organizations. His Musk Foundation, which supports "ground-breaking scientific research," reportedly under-delivered on mandatory payouts for three consecutive years. Musk defends his approach, framing his companies-Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink-as inherently philanthropic.
"If you say philanthropy is love of humanity, they are philanthropy," he argued in 2022, citing Tesla's push for sustainable energy and SpaceX's goal of interplanetary survival.
Work-first ethos drives lifestyle choices
Musk's minimalist living aligns with his work-centric priorities. "I'm literally staying at friends' places," he admitted to Anderson, emphasizing his focus on Mars colonization and Earth-based ventures. His 2022 Twitter acquisition-a $44 billion "splurge"-further underscores his preference for business investments over personal luxury.
