The richest person in the world, Elon Musk, is a big fan of private jets, and he just bought a new one.
A Texas news site called Austonia says that the 51-year-old recently bought a Gulfstream G700, which is meant to replace his Gulfstream G650ER.
Elon Musk is the world’s richest man, and has a fleet of private jets to prove it. Photo: TNS
The boss of Tesla often takes a private plane. Flight records obtained by The Washington Post show that the billionaire flew his G650ER more than 241,000km (150,000 miles) in 2018. That’s the same as going more than six times around the Earth.
Elon Musk has bought a new Gulfstream G700, likely to replace the G650ER – pictured here in flight – that he already owns. Photo: Luxurylaunches
Austonia said in June that Musk had placed an order for the Gulfstream G700, which is one of Gulfstream’s newest jets. Musk is expected to get the plane in early 2023.
The exterior of the Gulfstream G700, on display in October 2022. Elon Musk’s jet is due to arrive in 2023. Photo: Reuters
Flight Global said that deliveries of the G700 could be pushed back by three to six months because the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is still looking at the jet’s software.
Musk has four jets right now. Three of them were made by Gulfstream. Musk also owns a Dassault 900B, which was the first jet he ever bought. The FAA registry shows that all of Musk’s jets are registered to Falcon Landing LLC, a “shell” company with ties to Space X.
It’s got a price tag of US$78 million
Elon Musk’s new G700 private jet has set him back a cool US$78 million. Photo: Reuters
The G700 costs a lot to buy, and it can also cost a lot to run. According to Liberty Jet, the costs of running the jet for 400 hours can add up to about $3.5 million. According to an aviation site, the most expensive parts of running the plane are buying fuel and fixing the engine.
Musk is no stranger to these high operating costs. His October 31 flight on the G650ER from Los Angeles to New Jersey in the US cost $14,830 in fuel, according to the Twitter account @ElonJet, which tracks Musk’s flights. According to the account, Musk was in the air for about four and a half hours.
It’s the world’s largest purpose-built private jet
A glimpse inside Qatar Airways’ Gulfstream G700 shows a different colour scheme and TV watching set up. Photo: Qatar Airways
It can fly from Singapore to San Francisco non-stop
Different configurations for the passenger cabin are possible with the Gulfstream G700, allowing up to five living areas. Photo: Qatar Airways
The small but powerful G700 can fly from Singapore in Asia to San Francisco in the US without stopping. According to the same Gulfstream spec sheet, the G700 can cruise at a speed of Mach 0.925.
Its has the largest cabin among business jets
The interior of a G700 aircraft, one of the newest in Gulfstream Aerospace’s line-up, features large oval windows to let in more light. Photo: Reuters
Gulfstream says that the G700 has the largest cabin of any business jet at 17 meters (56 feet and 11 inches) long. This means that it can have five “living areas.” The jet’s virtual tour shows that the cabin is divided into different areas, such as a bathroom, kitchen, forward seating, entertainment suite, and dining area.
It has a luxurious stateroom
Elon Musk’s new private jet will have a spacious “stateroom” to relax and sleep in. Photo: Reuters
The interior of a G700 aircraft features such a luxurious bathroom it can even accommodate a shower. Photo: Reuters
The G700 can also be changed so that a shower is put in the bathroom. The G700 also has 20 oval-shaped windows that “boost wellness” and let a lot of light into the jet’s cabin.
Gulfstream says that the back of the plane has a space for luggage that is 5.5 cubic meters (195 cubic feet) in size.
