The world's richest people added $336billion to their fortunes in a single day on Monday, marking the biggest 24-hour gain ever recorded.

The surge, calculated at the close of trading in New York, pushed the combined wealth of the world's 500 richest people to a record $13.3 trillion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Elon Musk, the world's first trillionaire, widened his lead as the world's richest person after his fortune jumped more than 10 per cent to $1.27 trillion.

SpaceX was the biggest driver of the historic wealth surge as retail investors rushed to buy shares following its blockbuster stock market debut. 

The company's value jumped by around 20 per cent, adding $164billion to Mr Musk's fortune in a single day, almost equal to the combined gains of the other 499 billionaires on Bloomberg's index. 

The extraordinary rise has also widened the gap among the super-rich, with the world's 50 wealthiest people now controlling $6.5 trillion - almost as much as the $6.8 trillion held by the remaining 450 people on the list. 

The rise means even the 12 least wealthy people on Bloomberg's rich list are now worth at least $7.9 billion each, the highest-ever threshold needed to enter the ranking.

Global markets surged after the US and Iran reached an interim deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, easing fears of a major disruption to oil supplies and boosting investor confidence. 

Last week, Mr Musk became the world's first trillionaire after a frenzy for shares in his rocket company SpaceX following its stock market debut.

Investors were keen to climb aboard, sending the aerospace firm's shares soaring by more than 20 per cent and lifting its valuation from $1.8 trillion (£1.3 trillion) to more than $2 trillion (£1.49 trillion). 

The initial public offering on New York's Nasdaq exchange was the world's biggest.

The surge in SpaceX's share price to more than $160 also delivered an instant profit to investors who had bought in at $135. They included UK buyers who snapped up £270million worth of stock.

The frenzy came despite the fact that the company remains heavily loss-making – to the tune of billions of dollars a year.

Mr Musk joined a ceremonial bell-ringing at the Nasdaq remotely from SpaceX's Starbase headquarters in Texas.

And he declared that his 'multi-planetary' ambitions extended to 'not just a few astronauts, I mean literally you'.

'Whoever you are watching this, SpaceX wants to be able to take you to the moon, take you to Mars and ultimately beyond,' Mr Musk added.