Elon Musk’s comments about his frugal spending habits have been widely publicized, including that he stays in friends’ spare rooms when working at Tesla’s Bay Area headquarters. Of course, Business Insider later uncovered that Musk did own a $7 million Austin, Texas, home at the time of these comments.

Elon Musk, the richest person in the world, is a big fan of private jets – and he just added a new one to his collection.

The 51-year-old recently bought a Gulfstream G700, according to Texas-based news site Austonia, which is expected to replace his Gulfstream G650ER.

Elon Musk is the world’s richest man, and has a fleet of private jets to prove it. Photo: TNSAdvertisement

The Tesla boss regularly travels by private plane. In 2018, the billionaire flew more than 241,000km (150,000 miles) on his G650ER, according to flight records obtained by The Washington Post – that’s the equivalent of 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

According to a June report by Austonia, Musk has placed an order for the Gulfstream G700 – one of Gulfstream’s newest jets – with delivery expected 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

But the G700’s deliveries might be delayed by three to six months, as the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, continues to review the jet’s software, reported Flight Global.

Musk currently has four jets, three of which are made by Gulfstream. Musk also owns a Dassault 900B, the first jet he ever bought. All of Musk’s jets are registered to Falcon Landing LLC, a shell company with ties to Space X, the FAA registry shows.

So, what do we know about his new purchase?

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: ReutersAdvertisement

Aside from its hefty upfront cost, operating the G700 can be pricey too. Flying the jet for 400 hours can rack up operating expenses of around US$3.5 million, according to Liberty Jet. Fuel and engine overhaul are the most expensive parts of operating the plane, per the aviation site.

Musk is no stranger to these expensive operating costs: his October 31 flight on the G650ER from Los Angeles to New Jersey in the US racked up US$14,830 in fuel expenses, according to Twitter account @ElonJet, which tracks Musk’s flights. Musk was in the air for around four and a half hours, per the account.

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 AirwaysAdvertisement

The G700 can seat up to 19 passengers, according to a specification sheet by Gulfstream. The new model is reportedly the “stretched” version of the G650, and aims to rival the Bombardier 7500 in size, according to Bloomberg. It measures 33 metres (109 feet) in length and eight metres (25 feet) in height, according to Gulfstream.

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 mighty G700 has a range of 13,900km (7,500 nautical miles), which means the jet can fly from Singapore in Asia to San Francisco in the US without a stop. The G700 also has a cruising speed of Mach 0.925, according to the aforementioned Gulfstream spec sheet.

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According to a May press release by Gulfstream, the G700 flew from Georgia in the US to Geneva, Switzerland in seven hours and 37 minutes at a cruising speed of Mach 0.90. That’s pretty nippy for a small plane.

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: ReutersAdvertisement

The G700 has the largest cabin among business jets, measuring 17 metres (56 feet and 11 inches) in length, which allows it to have five “living areas”, according to Gulfstream. Its cabin is split into various sections including a lavatory, galley, forward seating, entertainment suite and dining area, the jet’s virtual tour shows.

It has a luxurious stateroom

Elon Musk’s new private jet will have a spacious “stateroom” to relax and sleep in. Photo: Reuters

The stateroom is designed with either a single or double bed, as photos of the G700’s interior show, and its en suite bathroom is one of the jet’s most luxurious features. It has several compartments for toiletries and valuables, a full-length mirror, and a leather-seat toilet, the virtual tour shows.

AdvertisementThe interior of a G700 aircraft features such a luxurious bathroom it can even accommodate a shower. Photo: Reuters

The G700 can also be customised for the bathroom to be designed with a shower. The G700 also has 20 “wellness boosting” oval shaped windows, which allow ample light to stream into the jet’s interior.

A baggage compartment that measures 5.5 cubic metres (195 cubic feet) is located at the aft of the plane, per Gulfstream.