Kimbal Musk net worth is estimated at $1.7 billion by Celebrity Net Worth. The figure rests on a small SpaceX stake, a large Tesla holding and a restaurant group. No auditor has ever seen his full accounts, so every published figure is an estimate. The tracker snapshot for this figure is dated 6 November 2026.
His money did not come from one big win. It grew in stages, from a $15 million tech exit to a $1 billion space stake. Most of it sits in his brother’s companies, yet he built his own food business too. That mix makes him the richest person in our series so far.
Who Is Kimbal Musk?
He was born Kimbal James Musk in Pretoria, South Africa, on 20 September 1972. His childhood home held his older brother Elon and his younger sister Tosca. After school he moved to Canada, where Elon already lived. He studied business at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, and graduated in 1995.
In 1994 he launched a painting business with College Pro Painters. A year later he and Elon co-founded Zip2, an online city guide. That first tech venture set up everything that came after it. He then left tech behind and trained as a chef in New York.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Kimbal James Musk |
| Born | 20 September 1972 |
| Birthplace | Pretoria, South Africa |
| Age | 54 |
| Occupation | Restaurateur, entrepreneur and investor |
| Years active | 1995 to present |
| Company | The Kitchen Restaurant Group |
| Known for | The Kitchen, Big Green, Square Roots, Tesla and SpaceX boards |
| Estimated net worth | $1.7 billion (Celebrity Net Worth estimate) |
| Main income sources | SpaceX stake, Tesla shares, restaurants and food ventures |
Kimbal Musk Net Worth: What the $1.7 Billion Estimate Covers
The kimbal musk net worth figure rests on reported holdings, not private records. Celebrity Net Worth builds it from public deals, share filings and known assets. Its page on Kimbal was first published in June 2023. The 2026 figure on that page is $1.7 billion.
Other sites still print $500 million to $900 million, which are older figures. Those counts cover Tesla shares only and miss the SpaceX stake. SpaceX went public in June 2026, and that listing changed the maths. Celebrity Net Worth ranks him first among its 107 celebrity chefs.
Gordon Ramsay sits second at $220 million, far behind Kimbal. Jamie Oliver and Nobu Matsuhisa share third place at $200 million each. Guy Fieri sits fifth at $130 million, which shows the gap.
The Essentials
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Estimate | $1.7 billion, from Celebrity Net Worth, snapshot 6 November 2026 |
| Biggest asset | SpaceX stake, about $1 billion |
| First payday | $15 million from the Zip2 sale in 1999 |
| Day job | The Kitchen Restaurant Group and Big Green |
How Kimbal Musk Makes His Money
Five income streams built this fortune across three decades. Equity in his brother’s firms did most of the work. Restaurants, board fees and food ventures added the rest. Each stream grew on its own, and none depended on fame.
- SpaceX stake, about $1 billion after the June 2026 listing
- Tesla shares, worth about $549 million in late October 2026
- The Kitchen Restaurant Group, in Colorado, Illinois and Texas
- Board fees, including a reported $300,000 a year from Tesla
- Square Roots and Nova Sky Stories, his food and drone ventures
- Zip2 and PayPal, the early exits that funded the rest
A normal chef keeps only the restaurant profits. Kimbal kept equity in two of the biggest firms on earth. That choice separates $1.7 billion from a good living. His name now adds value to food, farms and drone shows.
Zip2: The First $15 Million
Kimbal and Elon co-founded Zip2 in 1995, an online city guide. Newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune and The New York Times used its content. The brothers lived in the office and worked around the clock. Compaq bought Zip2 in 1999 for $307 million.
Elon took about $22 million from the sale. Kimbal took about $15 million, his first real fortune. He put money into X.com, which later merged with PayPal. EBay bought PayPal in 2002 for $1.5 billion in stock.
Tesla: The Board Seat That Built Half a Fortune
Kimbal joined the Tesla board in 2004 and still sits on it. He holds no operational role, yet his stake grew with the firm. Before the August 2020 split he owned about 130,000 shares. After the 5-for-1 split that stake became about 572,000 shares.
A later 3-for-1 split lifted his count to about 1.7 million shares. His Tesla shares pushed kimbal musk net worth past $500 million in January 2021. Recent filings put his holding near 1.4 million shares. Those shares were worth about $549 million in late October 2026.
He has also sold Tesla stock along the way. Filings show sales worth more than $100 million over the years. In June 2025 he sold nearly 92,000 shares for roughly $31 million. His Tesla director fee is reported at $300,000 a year.
SpaceX: The Tiny Stake Worth About $1 Billion
Kimbal sat on the SpaceX board from its founding in 2002 until 2022. He kept a small stake when he stepped down from the board. That stake is estimated at about 0.04% of the firm. It sounds tiny, yet it is now his biggest asset.
SpaceX priced the largest IPO in history in June 2026. At the 15 June 2026 close its market cap stood near $2.52 trillion. The maths is simple: 0.04% of $2.52 trillion is about $1 billion. That single holding explains why kimbal musk net worth jumped to $1.7 billion.
The Kitchen, Big Green and Square Roots: The Food Fortune
After Zip2 he moved to New York and trained at the French Culinary Institute. In 2004 he opened The Kitchen in Boulder with Jen Lewin and Hugo Matheson. The bistro grew into The Kitchen Restaurant Group, with sites in Colorado, Illinois and Texas. He also sat on the Chipotle board from 2013 to 2019.
He founded The Kitchen Community, later renamed Big Green. Big Green has built hundreds of Learning Gardens in schools across the United States. He later co-founded Square Roots, which grows food in modular indoor farms and raised $90 million. He also backs Nova Sky Stories, a firm that stages drone light shows.
The restaurant years were not free of trouble. During COVID-19 the group ran a Family Fund for staff in hardship. Workers said they could not reach the money when the restaurants closed. Kimbal disputed the report, and the Daily Camera put grants at $27,600 for 69 workers.
Kimbal Musk or Tom Cruise: Who Is Richer?
Tom Cruise sits at $600 million on the same tracker. Kimbal sits far ahead of him at an estimated $1.7 billion. The gap between kimbal musk net worth and Cruise’s figure is about $1.1 billion. Cruise built his sum from film fees, while Kimbal built his from equity.
Robert De Niro sits at $500 million, and Lewis Hamilton at $550 million. That makes Kimbal the richest person in our Celebrity Net Worth series so far. The same SpaceX listing made Elon the world’s first trillionaire. See the Tom Cruise fortune and the Robert De Niro fortune for the full picture.
The Chef in the Cowboy Hat
Kimbal married Jen Lewin in 2001, and they had three children before divorcing in 2010. In 2018 he married Christiana Wyly, an environmental activist. Three decades took him from house painting to a space stake. Food, gardens and drone shows now share the stage with rockets.
Profit, patience and a small stake built kimbal musk net worth across three decades. Read more fortunes in our Celebrity Net Worth archive. See the Lewis Hamilton fortune and the Denzel Washington fortune next. Celebrity Net Worth carries his full profile, with the figures behind every number here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kimbal Musk’s net worth?
Celebrity Net Worth puts the estimate at $1.7 billion. Its snapshot for the figure is dated 6 November 2026. The figure is an estimate from public sources. No audited account of his wealth exists.
Is Kimbal Musk a billionaire?
Yes, on the Celebrity Net Worth estimate he is. The $1.7 billion figure sits well past the $1 billion mark. Most of it comes from his SpaceX stake, worth about $1 billion. His Tesla shares and restaurants add the rest.
How did Kimbal Musk make his money?
He made his first $15 million from the Zip2 sale in 1999. Board seats at Tesla and SpaceX then grew his wealth fast. His SpaceX stake added about $1 billion after the June 2026 listing. Restaurants and food ventures add a smaller share.
How old is Kimbal Musk?
He was born on 20 September 1972 in Pretoria, South Africa. That makes him 54 years old in November 2026. He moved to Canada after school and studied business at Queen’s University.
What does Kimbal Musk do at Tesla?
He sits on the Tesla board, a role he has held since 2004. He holds no operational role at the firm. His pay as a director is reported at $300,000 a year. His real gain comes from the shares he holds.
Is Kimbal Musk married?
Yes, he married environmental activist Christiana Wyly in 2018. His first marriage was to Jen Lewin, from 2001 to 2010. He has three children from his first marriage. Christiana is the daughter of former billionaire Sam Wyly.