For much of modern history, capitalism has excelled at making the unimaginable seem ordinary. Millionaires once inspired awe. Billionaires subsequently stretched the boundaries of wealth beyond everyday comprehension. Now, with SpaceX's public debut propelling Elon Musk beyond the trillion-dollar threshold, another milestone has entered the economic lexicon.
On paper, the world's first trillionaire now commands wealth exceeding the annual economic output of many countries, a comparison that says less about one man than about the changing scale of capitalism itself.
