The Richest Mason Nobody Can Yet Prove
Forbes put Elon Musk, the wealthiest person in the United States, at a net worth of about $428 billion as of December 2025, with the fortune coming from Tesla and SpaceX 12.

In short
The cited facts do not establish Freemason membership for any billionaire, so they cannot identify a richest Freemason. Forbes reported that Elon Musk was the wealthiest person in the United States as of December 2025, with a net worth of about $428 billion from Tesla and SpaceX 12, but none of the cited facts mention a lodge or Masonic membership for him. Forbes estimated Dieter Schwarz's fortune at 67.2 billion US dollars, which would place him first among the richest Germans 6, and the cited facts likewise give no Masonic membership record for him. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index ranked Schwarz 56th richest in the world, with an estimated fortune of 28 billion US dollars 2. The Freemason membership cited for Alexander Van der Bellen rests on his own written answer on the meinparlament.at platform, not on an independent membership record or lodge letter 27, and the cited facts give no fortune figure for him. Because estimates for the same person differ widely across lists and years, as shown by Bilanz's figure of about 41.5 billion euros for Schwarz in September 2019 10 alongside the Bloomberg and Forbes figures above, any current answer needs its method and date attached.
Rules before the rolls
A diary entry in the Ashmole collection proves one man's participation on a specific date but does not reveal everything discussed in the lodge 25. Regulations quoted from Preston state that no one could be made or accepted a Freemason except in a regular lodge, which a Master or Warden of that district had to keep 37. The Harleian manuscript, dated by Hughan to about 1670, requires that a person be accepted as a Free Mason only if a lodge of at least five Free Masons, including a master or warden, is present 41.
The fraternity's name and rules were also printed. Anderson's 1738 edition of the Constitutions renamed the craft 'Free and Accepted Masons,' so the printed texts give later readers a checkable record of change 46. Germans were admitted in England before any German lodge existed, and an early figure was Count Albrecht Wolfgang of Schaumburg-Lippe 68. The first German lodge was entered in the London Grand Lodge register in 1740 with number 108 69.
The lesson for a reader is that initiation alone did not make someone a member. Under the Grand Lodge of England, a newly initiated Mason was not automatically a member; membership depended on whether the candidate said he wanted it 39.
Names on lodge rolls, 1800s to 1900s
Lodge records from the 1800s name real people. James K. Polk was initiated in Columbia Lodge #31 on September 4, 1820 33. John Tressidder was initiated at nineteen in Lodge Love of Honor, No. 75, at Falmouth on August 6, 1805, as reported in 1885 40. Jules Ferry and Émile Littré were initiated into 'la Clémente Amitié' on 8 July 1875 70. Ernst von Leyden was a member of the Königsberg lodge 'Zum Todtenkopf und Phoenix' from 1867 to 1871, a membership cited to Otto Hieber's 1897 lodge history 1819.
William Howard Taft received all three Masonic degrees in one day at Kilwinning Lodge No. 585 in Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 18, 1909, with the Grand Master of Ohio present 44. A 1904 Knights Templar notice from Charleston's Kanawha Commandery No. 4, announcing the Grand Commandery of West Virginia's annual conclave, names no wealthy individuals 29. A Somersworth Jefferson Club banquet notice at Foresters' hall was described as lavish enough to please multimillionaires, but it names no wealthy people 30.
Germany, Kentucky, and the modern rolls
In April 1933, after a conference with Hermann Göring, the Große Landesloge separated from its Freemasonic foundations and removed all Old Testament passages and Masonic designations from its ritual 48. The Reich Ministry of the Interior ordered the Grand Lodges to begin liquidation procedures by 21 July 1935, and the Grand Lodge's closing ceremony took place on 14 July 1935 49. The Grand Lodge reports about 3,500 brothers today, down from about 20,000 in 178 lodges in 1934 47.
Some Masonic bodies publish their own membership figures. The Grand Lodge of Kentucky says it has over 25,000 Masons in the state, a figure it publishes on its own website 74. The Grand Lodge of Connecticut's website publicly names Buzz Aldrin, John Elway and Shaquille O'Neal, who are living, as Masons, though it says nothing about their wealth 34. Van der Bellen's membership rests on his own account: in October 2008 he said he had been admitted to the only Freemason lodge in Innsbruck in the mid-1970s and had taken part in meetings for about a year, which he described as being 'active' 24. After Charlie Kirk's death, he was widely speculated to have ties to Freemasonry, based on a ring worn by his widow and social media posts 23.
A reader can test some of these claims. Indiana's tool needs the Lodge Name, Member Number and Last Name of the person 60. Mississippi's Text to Verify service checks whether a member is currently in Good Standing, using data the member's local lodge secretary reports 57. That lookup is not meant to grant admission to a lodge; admission requires a valid printed dues card, though the tool is still useful for quickly checking good standing 65.
Where things stand now
Forbes estimated Dieter Schwarz's fortune at $67.2 billion, which would place him first among the richest Germans 6. The Grand Lodge of Connecticut's website publicly names Buzz Aldrin, John Elway and Shaquille O'Neal as living Masons, though it says nothing about their wealth 34. According to Forbes, Elon Musk was the wealthiest person in the United States as of December 2025, with a net worth of about $428 billion from Tesla and SpaceX 12. Forbes cites each billionaire's net worth in US dollars based on documented assets, and accounts for debt and other factors 3. Its list counts as billionaires people estimated to have a net worth of at least US$1 billion 7.
Schwarz's figures show how much estimates vary. Bloomberg ranked him 56th with an estimated $28 billion in May 2021 2, and Bilanz estimated about 41.5 billion euros in September 2019 10. Forbes' combined total for its billionaires rose to over $16 trillion in 2025 15, so the broader picture is one of rapid change.
Still unknown
No living billionaire in the checked evidence has documented Freemason membership, so it is an open question whether any top-ranked billionaire has one.
The evidence has a 2026 Forbes figure for Dieter Schwarz but no 2026 Bloomberg figure, and no 2026 figure for the top of the list, so the current order of the richest people is not fully settled.
The Connecticut Grand Lodge names Buzz Aldrin, John Elway and Shaquille O'Neal as Masons, but the evidence gives no wealth figures for them, leaving open whether any of them appears on a current billionaire list.
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Sources
"2020 blieb Dietrich Mateschitz wie in den Vorjahren laut Forbes reichster Österreicher. Die Zeitschrift schätzt sein Vermögen auf 16,5 Mrd. USD (15,2 Mrd. Euro ), womit er Rang 57 der Weltrangliste belegt."Liste der reichsten Österreicher
"Laut dem Bloomberg Billionaires Index belegte er mit Stand 19. Mai 2021 und einem geschätzten Vermögen von 28 Milliarden US-Dollar den 56. Platz auf der Rangliste der reichsten Menschen der Welt."
"The net worth of each individual is cited in United States dollars , based on their documented assets, and accounting for debt and other factors."The World's Billionaires
"It is based on an annual assessment of wealth and assets by Forbes and by data from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index"List of wealthiest Americans by net worth
"Reports from others business-related publications such as Bloomberg L.P. could differ; for instance, they valued David Geffen at US$9.1 billion in 2023, [ 2 ] while Forbes estimated his net worth at $8.6 billion as of 2024."List of celebrities by net worth
"Das Magazin Forbes schätzte 2026 das Vermögen von Dieter Schwarz auf 67,2 Milliarden US-Dollar, womit er auf Platz 1 in der Liste der reichsten Deutschen stünde."
"i.e., they are estimated to have a net worth of US$1 billion or more."The World's Billionaires
"The Forbes 400 Richest Americans list has been published annually since 1982."List of wealthiest Americans by net worth
"However, Forbes estimates Selena Gomez net worth at $700 million, as of 2025."List of celebrities by net worth
"auf ca. 41,5 Milliarden Euro"
"This ranking excludes royalty and dictators whose wealth comes from their positions"The World's Billionaires
"Elon Musk 428 Tesla , SpaceX 54"List of wealthiest Americans by net worth
"Er galt eine Zeitlang nach unterschiedlichsten Vermögensschätzungen als die reichste Einzelperson in Deutschland."
"A record 902 American billionaires made the ranking, worth a record $6.8 trillion combined."List of wealthiest Americans by net worth
"The net worth of the world's billionaires increased from less than $1 trillion in 2000 to over $16 trillion in 2025."The World's Billionaires
"Bloomberg Billionaires Index"The World's Billionaires
"Combined during his life and after his death"List of celebrities by net worth
"Ernst Leyden war Freimaurer und von 1867 bis 1871 Mitglied der Königsberger Loge Zum Todtenkopf und Phoenix"
"Otto Hieber : Geschichte der Vereinigten Johannis-Loge zum Todtenkopf und Phönix zu Königsberg i. Pr. Selbstverlag, Königsberg 1897."
"Le journaliste Joseph Pulitzer , « précurseur » [ 6 ] d'une « presse d'investigation engagée » socialement [ 6 ] , accepta de mobiliser les premières pages de son quotidien New York World pour récolter plus d'argent, gagnant ainsi environ 50 000 nouveaux abonnés."
"est le résultat d'une collecte de fonds américaine dirigée par le procureur général , William M. Evarts"
"Le journal fut également utilisé par son créateur pour critiquer les classes aisées, étant donné leur incapacité à trouver les fonds nécessaires"
"Public reporting shows Charlie Kirk was widely speculated to have ties to Freemasonry after his death because of a ring worn by his widow and social-m"What has Charlie Kirk said about secret societies like...
"Nach eigenen Angaben im Oktober 2008 war Van der Bellen Mitte der 1970er Jahre in die damals einzige Freimaurerloge in Innsbruck aufgenommen worden, wobei er ungefähr ein Jahr lang an Sitzungen teilgenommen habe, was er als „aktiv gewesen“ bezeichnete."
"His diary entry proves his participation on a specific date."SECRET SOCIETIES BEFORE THE MODERN AGE (2026) · saved copy
"„Danach habe ich als rein passives Mitglied noch etwa zehn Jahre lang den Mitgliedsbeitrag bezahlt und bin schließlich auf meinen expliziten Wunsch hin ausgeschieden.“"
"Antwort von Alexander Van der Bellen vom 1. Oktober 2008"
"Lord Millett, 66, had spoken out before against the Government's attempts to set up a register of Freemasons in the criminal justice system. He has described it as an invasion of privacy [16]."The judiciary and freemasonry (2025) · saved copy
"Kanawha Commandery. Xo. 4, Knights Templar, courteously invites you and ladies to attend the thirtieth Annual Conclave of the Grand Commandery of West Virginia"Image 1 of Sistersville daily oil review (Sistersville, W. Va.), May 9, 1904
"It never was excelled in Somersworth and would tickle the palates of multi multimillionaires."Image 8 of Foster's daily Democrat (Dover, N.H.), April 14, 1899
"There were several promioent members of the Order present from Manchester, 1.,0we1l and Portsmouth, among whom: were Judge John P. Bart Bartlett, - lett, Bartlett, Fred Montgomery and William Belli of the M anchester lodge."Image 8 of Foster's daily Democrat (Dover, N.H.), April 14, 1899
"It includes Freemasons who were at some point members under the jurisdiction the Grand Lodge of Tennessee"List of Tennessee Freemasons
"James K. Polk - 11th President of the United States ; 9th Governor of Tennessee. Initiated in Columbia Lodge #31 on September 4, 1820"List of Tennessee Freemasons
"Other notable men like Buzz Aldrin, Winston Churchill and Mozart and athletes John Elway, Arnold Palmer, Jack Dempsey and Shaquille O’Neal are Masons."Grand Lodge of Connecticut
"The statement that he received all the degrees in one day is not borne out by the records of the lodge."Image 66 of Evening star (Washington, D.C.), February 19, 1933
"Cease to subscribe to a lodge for twelve months, and there and then all privileges obtained by having served as Master of a lodge are lost, and after due notice, and no payment made, the name is erased from the roll of members."Image 3 of New York dispatch (New York [N.Y.]), September 10, 1876
"(1.) That no person, of what degree soever, be made or accepted a Freemason, unless in a regular lodge, whereof one to be a Master or a Warden in that limit or division where such lodge is kept, and another to be a craftsman in the trade of Freemasonry."Image 3 of New York dispatch (New York [N.Y.]), December 5, 1880
"the name of James Monroe appears in the list of names"Image 66 of Evening star (Washington, D.C.), February 19, 1933
"It is evident, from the foregoing, that tbe membership on the night of initiation depends upon tbe wish of the “ candidate,” as he.is not ipso facto a member, but only if he so desires."Image 3 of New York dispatch (New York [N.Y.]), September 10, 1876
"reports Bro. John Tressidder, aged 100, who was initiated at the age of nineteen in Lodge Love of Honor, No. 75, Falmouth, August 6th, 1805."Image 3 of New York dispatch (New York [N.Y.]), August 2, 1885
"Noe person (ot wbat degree soever) shal bee accepted a free Mason, unless liee shall have a lodge of five free Masons, at least, whereof one to bee a master or warden, of that limitt, or division, wherein such Lodge shal bee kept, and another of tho trade of Free Masonry."Image 3 of New York dispatch (New York [N.Y.]), December 5, 1880
"Bro. D. Murray Lyon, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, writes to the London Ft eemason"Image 3 of New York dispatch (New York [N.Y.]), August 2, 1885
"Answer.— Every lodge is the sole judge as to who sh"Image 3 of New York dispatch (New York [N.Y.]), December 5, 1880
"in Kilwinning Lodge, No. 585, Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 18, 1909"Image 66 of Evening star (Washington, D.C.), February 19, 1933
"nor shah a brother be affiliated until he has ( produced his Grand Lodge certificate, and also, when possible, a clearance certificate from the lodge with which he had been last connected."Image 3 of New York dispatch (New York [N.Y.]), September 10, 1876
"Note that in 1723 tbe craft were styled “Accepted Free Masons,” while in 1738 they were termed (as now) “Free and Accepted Masons.”"Image 3 of New York dispatch (New York [N.Y.]), December 5, 1880
"Die GLL verfügt nach eigenen Angaben heute über ca. 3.500 Brüder. Im Jahre 1934 gehörten ihr noch etwa 20.000 Brüder in 178 Logen an, insbesondere im ehemaligen Preußen."
"Nach einer Konferenz zwischen Hermann Göring und Landesgroßmeister von Heeringen am 7. April 1933 trennte sich die GLL von ihren freimaurerischen Grundlagen und eliminierte insbesondere alle alttestamentlichen Stellen im Ritual und alle freimaurerischen Bezeichnungen."
"Das Reichsministerium des Innern wies darauf die Großlogen an, bis spätestens 21. Juli 1935 für sich und ihre Tochterlogen die Liquidationsverfahren einzuleiten. Am 14. Juli 1935 fand die Schlussfeier der GLLFvD statt."
"Die beiden prominentesten Mitglieder der Großen Landesloge im 19. Jahrhundert waren sicherlich die Kaiser Wilhelm I. und Friedrich III. , letzterer war als Kronprinz Ordensmeister der Großen Landesloge."
"Die S. R. i. A. nahm nur reguläre Freimaurer im Meistergrad auf und war in erster Linie ein freimaurerischer Studienzirkel"
"Freemasonry grew in popularity with elite Protestant men after the American Revolution and added additional rites to its secret initiations during this period."1. Uncomfortable Rites in Early Republican Freemasonry (2022)
"Freemasons made claims to their sovereign role in American society by forming social bonds and mastering awkward ritual choreography behind closed doors, arguing that their rites were too powerful for untrained eyes."1. Uncomfortable Rites in Early Republican Freemasonry (2022)
"In dem rosenkreuzerisch geprägten Orden wurden nur verdiente Freimaurer auf Einladung aufgenommen."
"Der Orden hat sechs Initiationsgrade die an den Golden Dawn angelehnt sind."
"The Grand Lodge of Indiana is pleased to offer the following link to verify a member in good standing."Verification / Background Check
"Text to Verify can be used to verify that a member is currently in Good Standing utilizing real-time data as it is reported in Grand View by that member’s local lodge secretary."Grand View Text to Verify - The Grand Lodge of Mississippi F∴ & A∴ M∴
"Member records, lodge access, and GrandView tools."Constitution and Regulations
"A Grand Lodge, Grand Orient, or Obedience is the usual governing body of"Grand Lodge
"Verification requires you have the Lodge Name, Member Number and Last Name to use this verification tool."Verification / Background Check
"To verify a member’s status using Text to Verify, simply send a text message from any mobile phone to the number below with the member’s 5-digit member number printed on their dues card or from their electronic dues card provided by Grand View (excluding any leading zeros)."Grand View Text to Verify - The Grand Lodge of Mississippi F∴ & A∴ M∴
"There is no central body to oversee all of the Grand Lodges in the world (nor, indeed, all of Freemasonry)"Grand Lodge
"Every officer of Grand Lodge or District Deputy Grand Master or member of the Board must be a Past Master and a member of this Grand Lodge."Constitution and Regulations
"These items can be found on the Membership Card or can be provided by the Brother."Verification / Background Check
"Note, the Grand Lodge of Mississippi’s current adopted by-laws do not allow the Text to Verify system to be used to grant admission in to a lodge in lieu of a valid printed dues card, but it is still a useful tool for quickly and easily verifying if a member is in good standing."Grand View Text to Verify - The Grand Lodge of Mississippi F∴ & A∴ M∴
"have their own governing bodies, not called Grand Lodges"Grand Lodge
"The term “Grand Lodge” is not exclusive to Freemasonry. The Odd Fellows , Elks , and other similar fraternal groups also have Grand Lodges, as does the Orange Order ."Grand Lodge
"Noch bevor es Logen in Deutschland gab, wurden Deutsche in England zu Freimaurern aufgenommen. Einer der frühesten bekannten Persönlichkeiten war Graf Albrecht Wolfgang von Schaumburg-Lippe ."
"Ihr zweiter Meister vom Stuhl ließ sie 1740 in das Großlogenregister in London mit der Matrikelnummer 108 eintragen. 1743 erhielt die Loge dann ihren Eigennamen Absalom ."
"Jules Ferry (futur ministre de l'Instruction publique de la République) et Émile Littré (auteur éponyme du dictionnaire) sont initiés par la loge"
"Liste de francs-maçons célèbres ."
"à l'exception de Lamartine et Ledru-Rollin , tous les membres du gouvernement provisoire de 1848 sont francs-maçons"
"Le Frère Thirifocq, militant socialiste, membre de la loge"
"The over 25,000 Masons of Kentucky welcome you to the Grand Lodge of Kentucky Free and Accepted Masons site."The Grand Lodge of Kentucky F. & A.M.
"It is not that we want to be secretive, but our tradition is to not be flamboyant or advertise our good works."The Grand Lodge of Kentucky F. & A.M.
"There are over a million Freemasons scat scattered - tered scattered over tho world and of this number 550000 reside in the United States"Image 6 of The Salt Lake herald (Salt Lake City [Utah]), May 4, 1889
"It is our hope that this site will serve to remove some of the shroud of mystery associated with Masonry."The Grand Lodge of Kentucky F. & A.M.
"the former eliminated from their Jaw tho prerequisite of a belief in God before a man could bo mado a Mason"Image 6 of The Salt Lake herald (Salt Lake City [Utah]), May 4, 1889
"Masons in Kentucky do not solicit for membership, we wait for the man to ask for a petition."The Grand Lodge of Kentucky F. & A.M.
"There no grand master of the United States each grand lodgo having jurisdiction over the territory circumscribed by the state in which it is located"Image 6 of The Salt Lake herald (Salt Lake City [Utah]), May 4, 1889
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