1 minute of Elon Musk’s earnings = 1,356 years of your salary in India

Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh

Skyrocketing Billions

[{"selector":"#anim-19b316a5-9fc3-4937-a32d-6155d589f580 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-7.901505623634222%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] As of March 2025, Elon Musk’s net worth is $347.7 billion. That’s after losing over $100 billion since late 2024—proof that billionaire wealth swings wildly.

Minute Riches

[{"selector":"#anim-4c2303fb-6cab-4b7f-bf60-5beea3bacb20 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-24.341606047473398%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] On days when his fortune grows by $9 billion, Musk hypothetically earns $6.25 million per minute. That’s more than most people make in a lifetime.

Income Imbalance

[{"selector":"#anim-4306cc90-d5c0-40eb-bea7-6a5ba018ea67 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-23.762247683042716%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] With an average annual salary of ₹384,000 in India, a typical worker would need 1,356 years to match Musk’s one minute on a good stock day.

Wealth Volatility

[{"selector":"#anim-198ef62b-9de6-4141-aa97-dc879f46f74f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Musk lost $102 billion in the first two months of 2025 due to a Tesla stock drop—reminding us that billionaire net worths aren't stable salaries.

Stock Tied

[{"selector":"#anim-af6aa502-f977-4d29-be45-7298fd93390c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-19.363839099815245%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] His fortune isn’t cash—it’s equity. Tesla, SpaceX, and other ventures make up most of his net worth, which rises and falls with market tides.

Unreal Gaps

[{"selector":"#anim-7478c219-3cdb-49dc-ad75-7bb321004bf8 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(10.109329571148834%, 4.960317225258491%) scale(1.3703703703703702)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] A single minute of Musk’s gains can fund the entire lifetime earnings of 40 Indian workers, highlighting the extreme ends of modern capitalism.

Daily Swings

Elon can gain—or lose—$10 billion in a single day, just from market movements. That’s like flipping the economic switch of a small country.

Global Inequality

[{"selector":"#anim-3dea748f-6972-49a8-a991-d0ae37022fb7 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-22.464433016995375%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] The contrast between Musk’s earnings and Indian wages underscores the global wealth gap—where minutes of billionaire growth equal centuries of labor.

Not Liquid

[{"selector":"#anim-8aa48e0b-e106-4e8b-bee5-0b6f242732bb [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Despite jaw-dropping numbers, this wealth isn’t sitting in a bank. Most of it’s tied up in shares, meaning he’s rich on paper, not in piles of cash.

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