From November 2021 to December 2022, Elon Musk lost about $165 billion. This is reported in the blog on the website of the Guinness Book of Records.

The figures are based on data from Forbes, but Guinness said other sources indicated that Musk’s losses could be even higher.

This is due to the fall in the value of shares of Elon Musk’s company, which produces electric cars Tesla, after he bought Twitter last year.

The $44bn (£36bn) takeover of the social network has raised concerns among investors that Musk is no longer paying enough attention to Tesla.

Elon Musk’s losses since November 2021 exceed the previous record of $58.6 billion, which was set by Japanese technology investor Masayoshi Son in 2000.

The damage estimate is based on the value of his shares, which could recover, meaning Musk’s fortune would rise again.

In December, the Tesla boss ceded his position as the world’s richest man to Bernard Arnault, CEO of French luxury goods company LVMH, which owns fashion brand Louis Vuitton.

Tesla’s stock is down about 65% in 2022, in part because of the company’s performance. The firm delivered just 1.3 million vehicles for the year, falling short of Wall Street’s expectations.

However, it was Mr. Musk’s takeover of Twitter, where he sparked controversy by laying off large numbers of employees and changing its content moderation policy, that is behind much of the stock’s decline.

Many Tesla investors believe he should focus on the electric car company as it faces falling demand amid fears of a recession, increased competition and production problems related to Covid.

“[Tesla’s] long-term fundamentals are extremely strong. Short-term market madness is unpredictable,” Musk tweeted after the stock markets closed for the year in December 2022.

According to Forbes, Mr. Musk is now worth about $178 billion, while Bernard Arnault’s fortune is estimated at $188 billion.