Tilman Fertitta vs Elon Musk
Real-time net worth, career, and company comparison — updated May 2026.
Wealth at a Glance
Net worth gap: $796.6B — equivalent to 99% of Elon's total wealth.
Tale of the Tape
Net Worth History
| Year | Tilman | Elon | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $9.34B | — | — |
| 2022 | — | $146B | — |
| 2023 | $8.1B | $235.5B | Elon |
| 2024 | $10.1B | $839.6B | Elon |
| 2025 | $11.7B | $839B | Elon |
| 2026 | $11.013B | $807.656B | Elon |
Career Highlights
Tilman Fertitta
- 1980Founded Landry's SeafoodFertitta established Landry's Seafood, the foundation of his hospitality empire.
- 1988Acquired Jimmie Walker'sFertitta bought Jimmie Walker's restaurant, which he rebuilt, marking an early success in his strategy of acquiring and revitalizing businesses.
- 2010Took Landry's PrivateFertitta took Landry's private for $1.4 billion.
- 2017Purchased Houston RocketsFertitta acquired the Houston Rockets for $2.2 billion.
- 2025Appointed U.S. AmbassadorFertitta was appointed as the United States Ambassador to Italy and San Marino.
Elon Musk
- 1995Co-founded Zip2Co-founded Zip2, an online city guide for newspapers.
- 1999Co-founded X.comCo-founded X.com, which later became PayPal.
- 2002Founded SpaceXFounded Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX).
- 2004Became Chairman of TeslaLed the first funding round for Tesla and became its Chairman.
- 2008Became CEO of TeslaBecame CEO of Tesla Motors.
The Verdict: Elon Musk vs Tilman Fertitta
As of May 2026, Elon Musk leads this comparison with a net worth of $807.656B, placing at #1 in the global rankings. Tilman Fertitta follows at $11.013B — a gap of $796.6B.
The two leaders come from distinct industries — Food & Beverage for Tilman Fertitta and Technology for Elon Musk. Comparing them is therefore a comparison of different underlying asset types, growth rates, and risk profiles rather than a simple head-to-head within the same market.
Tilman Fertitta is 68 years old versus 54 for Elon Musk, a difference of 14 years. Age context matters in wealth comparisons: a younger billionaire at the same net worth has had less time to accumulate — and in many cases represents a higher compound annual growth rate on their wealth.
Net worth figures are estimates calculated from public shareholding disclosures, stock price data, and reported asset values. See our full methodology.
Explore Full Profiles
Net worth estimates updated daily from public financial disclosures. Methodology · Report an error