Does Elon Musk own a private jet

Yeah, he's got one. Elon Musk owns a private jet. His main ride is a Gulfstream G650ER, one of those fancy business jets that'll set you back around $70 million. He's talked about owning it publicly, and flight tracking accounts—especially that @ElonJet thing Jack Sweeney runs—have been all over it. The tail number's N628TS. Musk says he uses it to bounce between SpaceX and Tesla locations for work. But he's also complained about how private jets hurt the environment and, you know, people tracking every move he makes.

The Gulfstream G650ER is basically the king of long-range jets. It can fly over 7,500 nautical miles without stopping for gas. So Musk could go straight from Los Angeles to Shanghai or New York to Tokyo without a pit stop. That's pretty crucial when you're running Tesla (headquarters in Austin, Texas), SpaceX (headquarters in Hawthorne, California), plus all his other stuff like Neuralink and The Boring Company.

He's had other planes before—like a Dassault Falcon 900B and a Gulfstream G550—but right now the G650ER is his go-to.

What is the make and model of Elon Musk’s private jet?

It's a Gulfstream G650ER. The "ER" part means Extended Range. Gulfstream Aerospace makes these things, and they're owned by General Dynamics. The G650ER is basically the long-distance version of the regular G650, topping out at 7,500 nautical miles (13,890 km) if you're cruising at Mach 0.85. It fits up to 18 passengers and can hit Mach 0.925—almost the speed of sound. The inside usually has a few living areas, a full kitchen, and a spot for the crew to crash.

Here's what you're looking at with the Gulfstream G650ER:

• Maximum Range: 7,500 nautical miles (13,890 km)
• Maximum Cruise Speed: 0.925 (about 710 mph or 1,142 km/h)
• Maximum Takeoff Weight: 103,600 lbs (47,000 kg)
• Engines: Two Rolls-Royce BR725 turbofan engines
• Cabin Height: 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m)
• Cabin Width: 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 m)
• Cabin Length: 46 feet 10 inches (14.27 m)

The tail number's N628TS, and people think "TS" stands for either Tesla or SpaceX. Makes sense, right?

How much did Elon Musk pay for his private jet?

So, the Gulfstream G650ER probably cost around $70 million brand new. That's the base price plus any fancy upgrades and custom interior stuff. When Musk bought it, it was likely fresh off the line—the G650ER only started flying in 2015. Seventy million bucks is about what you'd expect for a fully loaded version.

But buying the jet is just the start. You've got to keep it running, and that's not cheap:

• Crew salaries (pilot and co-pilot)
• Hangar fees and storage
• Fuel and maintenance
• Insurance
• Navigation and landing fees

Running a Gulfstream G650ER for a year? That's probably between $3 million and $5 million, depending on how much you fly it. For Musk, whose net worth bounces between $200 billion and $250 billion, the jet's cost is like a drop in the bucket—less than 0.05% of his total cash.

Does Elon Musk still own the Gulfstream G650ER in 2025?

As of 2025, yeah, he's still got the Gulfstream G650ER (N628TS). You can check flight tracking sites and see it buzzing around between SpaceX spots in Texas and California, Tesla's HQ in Austin, and other places. No one's reported him selling it or upgrading to something newer.

But Musk has said he'd like to fly private less. Back in 2023, he mentioned he was "working on making electric jets viable" using Tesla's battery know-how. Nothing concrete's come out yet though. He's also been pretty annoyed about that @ElonJet account that posts his plane's location in real time. He's tried legal stuff and platform bans (like suspending the account on X/Twitter) to keep his flight data under wraps.

Also worth noting: his companies have other planes. SpaceX runs a Gulfstream G550 for business trips, and Tesla's chartered stuff sometimes. But for his personal travel, the G650ER is still the one.

Why does Elon Musk need a private jet?

Honestly, it's about time and safety. His schedule is insane—he's running Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, The Boring Company, and X. These companies have facilities all over the US and the world. Commercial flights just wouldn't cut it.

Here's why he uses a private jet:

• Time efficiency: He can hit multiple sites in one day. Like, fly from SpaceX in Hawthorne to Tesla in Austin, then pop over to a factory in Berlin—all within 24 hours. No waiting around for commercial flights.
• Security: He's one of the most famous and richest guys alive. Being in public airports would be a huge security risk. A private jet keeps things controlled and safe.
• Confidentiality: He can talk about sensitive stuff—product launches, money deals, secret tech—without worrying about someone overhearing.
• Flexibility: Private jets can land at smaller airports near his facilities. The SpaceX site in Boca Chica, Texas? No commercial airlines go there.

Musk talks a lot about sustainable energy, and he knows his jet has a carbon footprint. He's put money into electric aviation research through Tesla. But until electric planes can match the range and capacity of a Gulfstream G650ER, he's probably sticking with this one.

How many private jets does Elon Musk own?

As far as anyone knows, just one: the Gulfstream G650ER (N628TS). There's no proof he's got a whole fleet. But he can use other planes through his companies. For example:

• SpaceX has a Gulfstream G550 (tail number N272BG) for corporate stuff.
• Tesla sometimes charters planes for executives, but Musk doesn't own those.
• He used to have a Dassault Falcon 900B (tail number N900SX), but that's been sold or retired.

Maybe he's got more jets hidden under shell companies or trusts, but no public records or flight data backs that up. The @ElonJet account, which tracks his flights using ADS-B data, only shows the G650ER. If he had others, they'd probably be tracked too.

Compared to other billionaires, Musk's pretty modest. Jeff Bezos has a Gulfstream G650ER and a Bombardier Global 7500. Bill Gates flies a Bombardier BD-700 Global Express. Just one jet? That's kind of low-key for his wealth.

What is the carbon footprint of Elon Musk's private jet?

It's big. Really big. The exact numbers depend on how much he flies, but tracking data shows his jet does about 1,000 to 1,500 hours a year. The Gulfstream G650ER burns around 400 gallons (1,514 liters) of fuel per hour, which pumps out about 4.2 metric tons of CO2 every hour.

So, rough estimates:

• Annual fuel burn: 400,000 to 600,000 gallons (1.5 to 2.3 million liters)
• Annual CO2 emissions: 4,200 to 6,300 metric tons

For context, the average American creates about 15 metric tons of CO2 per year from everything they do. Musk's jet alone puts out more in a year than 300 to 400 average people. That's drawn a lot of criticism from environmentalists, especially since he's all about electric cars and clean energy.

Musk's aware of the contradiction. In 2022, he tweeted something like: "I fly private because commercial aviation is too slow and unreliable for my schedule. But I am working on making electric planes viable." He's also bought carbon offsets, though how effective those really are is up for debate.

On the flip side, his companies—Tesla, SpaceX, SolarCity—have a net positive effect on the environment. Tesla's sold millions of EVs, and Starlink brings internet to remote areas without needing fiber-optic cables. Still, his jet's carbon footprint is a sore spot.