Mukesh Ambani ranks far below Elon Musk despite earning Rs 40,000 crore in less than a week

Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s richest person, added Rs 39,311 crore to his net worth in just five days as Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) surged to a market cap of Rs 17.27 lakh crore. 

Despite this staggering gain, Ambani’s global wealth ranking remains dwarfed by Elon Musk, whose net worth towers at 327.3 billion US dollars (approximately Rs 26.84 lakh crore rupees) compared to Ambani's 95.5 billion US dollars (approx. 7.8 lakh crore rupees), as per Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List, March 2025.

Ambani’s Rapid Wealth Growth

RIL’s stock rally fueled a 4.25% rise in the Nifty index, with Ambani’s conglomerate leading gains among India’s top 10 firms.

ICICI Bank and Bharti Airtel also contributed to the Rs 3.06 lakh crore collective valuation jump. Over two weeks, RIL’s market cap swelled by Rs 1.06 lakh crore, cementing its dominance over HDFC Bank, TCS, and Airtel.

Musk’s Global Dominance

Elon Musk retains his position as the world’s richest person, with Tesla and SpaceX valuations driving his wealth. While Ambani’s RIL thrives in energy, telecom, and retail, Musk’s ventures span electric vehicles, space tech, AI, and satellite internet (Starlink).

Starlink-Jio Collaboration: Partners Yet Distant

Despite competing in satellite internet, Musk’s Starlink and Ambani’s Jio recently partnered to expand broadband access in rural India. The alliance aims to leverage Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellites and Jio’s vast user base.

ALSO READ: Explained: How rivals Airtel, Jio partnered for Elon Musk’s Starlink; benefits and launch details

However, this collaboration hasn’t bridged the wealth gap, as Musk’s diversified tech empire outpaces Ambani’s India-centric portfolio.

Why the Gap Persists

Ambani’s wealth, though monumental, is tethered to RIL’s performance in Indian markets. Musk’s global ventures, particularly Tesla’s AI-driven innovations and SpaceX’s government contracts, attract higher valuations. For instance, SpaceX alone is valued at 180 billion US dollars, nearly double RIL’s market cap.