Elon Musk’s Gulfstream G650ER
The tail number encodes his 28 June birthday, and the G650ER became the most-tracked business jet in the world after a student-run account began posting its movements in 2020. Musk also operates two Gulfstream G550s and was reported to have ordered a G700 in 2022. The jet's public tracking led to a 2022 policy change on Twitter/X that banned real-time location sharing.
What it costs to keep flying
If flown 300 hours a year, our model puts the annual bill at:
- Crew, hangar, insurance, training
- $1,700K
- Fuel & maintenance (300 h)
- $1,740K
- Depreciation
- $3,345K
- Cost of capital (5%)
- $2,925K
Estimate. Bespoke interiors, extra crew and hangar in premium locations push it higher.
The aircraft
- Type
- Gulfstream Aerospace G650ER
- Class
- Ultra-Long-Range
- Range
- 7,500 nm
- Max cruise
- 516 kts (Mach 0.93)
- Passengers
- 14–19
- Cabin
- 46.8 × 8.5 × 6.4 ft
- New price
- —
- Fuel burn
- 470 gal/h
Sources: simpleflying.com · fortune.com · cnbc.com
Related
Jeff Bezos
Gulfstream G650ER · $65M reported
Bezos has owned two G650ERs through a Seattle holding company and was reported in late 2024 to be selling the older one (a 2015 airframe) for just under $39 million after taking delivery of a new Gulfstream G700 reported at around $80 million. His arrival at the COP26 climate summit by Gulfstream drew wide media attention in 2021.
Bill Gates
Gulfstream G650ER (two) · $70M reported
Gates is reported to own two G650ERs, both 2018 builds based at Boeing Field in Seattle, plus access to Challenger 350s via a NetJets arrangement. He has called private flying his 'guilty pleasure' and says he offsets his emissions by funding direct-air-capture and sustainable fuel ventures.
Kim Kardashian
Gulfstream G650ER · $150M reported
Kardashian is reported to have paid around $95 million for the G650ER and spent a further sum on an all-cashmere, light-wood interior, with total figures of roughly $150 million widely quoted. House rules reported by her family include no spray tans on board and branded slippers at every seat.