Elon Musk's wealth story has set a new record. According to recent news, the net worth of the founder of Tesla and SpaceX has recently reached $749 billion, making him the first individual in human history to break the $700 billion mark.

What is the core reason for this wave of wealth surge? It has to do with a compensation plan that has been tossed around for many years.

In 2018, Tesla's board of directors and shareholders approved an aggressive options incentive plan—if Musk could lead the company to achieve a series of market value and revenue targets, he would receive stock options worth approximately $139 billion. In other words, it is a gamble that ties company growth to personal rewards.

However, this plan was later abruptly dismissed by a lower court in 2024. The judge's reasoning at the time was that the board's review process lacked independence, leading to a direct ruling for cancellation. At one point, it seemed that Musk's exorbitant options were about to go to waste.

The plot twist came unexpectedly. The Delaware Supreme Court made a unanimous ruling this Friday, overturning the lower court's decision. The judges believed that this compensation plan did not harm the overall interests of the shareholders, thus allowing the $139 billion stock options to come back into effect.

What does this ruling mean for Musk? It means that this enormous option is being reallocated to his personal assets. Combined with Tesla's sustained stock performance and the rising valuation of SpaceX, Musk's personal wealth has suddenly surged to unprecedented heights.

From being labeled as "unjust" to being formally recognized by the Supreme Court, this back-and-forth twist is quite ironic — but for investors and crypto observers, it reflects another way wealth is concentrated in the traditional financial world.