Elon Musk, the world’s richest man with a net worth of $930 billion, is currently living in an Airstream trailer rather than a mansion, as he personally oversees a SpaceX data center buildout in Memphis, Tennessee. Speaking at the All-In Summit this week, Musk jokingly referred to the trailer as his “palace,” drawing laughter from attendees including SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell, who noted that Musk often sleeps at worksites rather than commuting from home.
A Pattern of Sleeping on the Job
This isn’t the first time Musk has traded comfort for proximity to his operations. He has repeatedly said he slept on the factory floor at Tesla during high-pressure production periods, most notably in 2018 while the company struggled to ramp up Model 3 output at its Fremont, California plant. Musk has described the practice as a way to stay close to operational problems and share the strain with employees during critical crunch periods.
From Seven Homes to None
Musk’s current living situation traces back to a 2020 pledge, when he announced on social media that he would sell nearly all his physical possessions and “own no house,” saying he wanted to focus on “Mars and Earth.” He followed through by selling all seven of his California properties, including homes in Bel Air and the Bay Area, netting roughly $127.9 million between 2020 and 2021. He has since rented modest housing in Texas near SpaceX’s Starbase facility, though reports suggest he retains access to additional properties in Austin.
The Memphis buildout is central to SpaceX’s AI strategy following its absorption of Musk’s xAI startup earlier this year, making the trailer a practical base for round-the-clock oversight.