Elon Musk claimed on social media that he once paid so much in taxes that it "broke the IRS computer" due to the sheer number of digits involved. While his net worth exceeds $600 billion, his wealth is primarily in company stock, not salary. He paid approximately $12 billion in taxes in 2021 after selling Tesla stock, a significant tax event triggered by exercising stock options. Musk has previously stated he is "cash poor" as his wealth is tied to company advancement rather than personal luxury.