If you thought rich folks were already untouchable, Elon Musk just took it to another level. In just two days, the Tesla boss saw his wealth skyrocket by a staggering $178 billion, now cementing his spot as the richest person in the world as of mid-December — and leaving everyone else’s jaw on the floor.
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Mind you, this recent metric means serious business. With his current net worth sitting at $648 billion, he’s reportedly worth double the next richest person alive, per Fortune. While that’s impressive for Musk, it also begs the question: what could $178 billion actually do if it were put to work? Well, we’ve considered this, and the possibilities are staggering.
We Could Fully Cover Snap Benefits
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps low-income families put food on the table. As the nation’s largest nutrition assistance program, it accounted for 70% of USDA nutrition spending in fiscal year 2024, per the USDA. On average, 41.7 million people participated each month, at an annual federal cost of $99.8 billion — much less than Elon Musk’s two-day wealth surge.
We Could Wipe Out Private Student Loan Debt
Private student loan debt in the U.S. totaled $144.9 billion in Q1 2025, making up just 8.02% of all student loans, per Education Data. That said, these numbers are no match for Musk’s two-day increase of $178 billion — he could theoretically wipe out every private student loan in the country, offering immediate relief to millions of Americans struggling with monthly payments. And still, he’d have billions left over… probably enough to buy a yacht, or whatever it is rich people do (can’t relate).
We Could Upgrade Clean Water Systems
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes more than $50 billion in federal funding for drinking water and wastewater improvements — the largest investment in U.S. history, according to the White House. This includes lead pipe replacement and other upgrades to ensure safe, clean water nationwide.
Over 9 million homes, schools, daycares, and businesses still receive water through lead pipes, putting millions at risk of lead poisoning. With that good old $178 billion, the SpaceX billionaire wouldn’t even break a sweat covering these needs — and he’d still have billions to spare.
You get where we’re going with this. Musk’s two-day, $178 billion payday alone could fully fund SNAP, wipe out private student loan debt, upgrade housing, modernize clean water systems and more — tackling some of America’s most glaring struggles, particularly for the working class.
That said, this is all just a thought experiment, and the reality is, folks won’t see a dime. That’s okay (sheds a single tear).
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