Elon Musk has been the world’s richest person since January 2021, with some brief interruptions when Larry Ellison temporarily moved ahead in September 2025. As of June 2026, that’s about 5 years and 5 months total, though the exact count depends on whether you’re measuring continuous time or total time at the top.

Quick read

  • First reached the top on January 7, 2021.
  • Briefly lost it to Larry Ellison in September 2025 , then regained it.
  • In June 2026 , sources still describe him as the world’s richest person, now at roughly $1 trillion-plus.

TL;DR

He has been the richest man in the world for a little over five years total , and just over five years continuously except for a short loss in 2025.