Elon Musk's net worth has taken a $15.3 billion hit after the Tesla CEO announced he was to form a new political party. The news sent ripples through financial markets and spooked investors concerned about Musk's political ambitions and possible implications for Tesla's brand and business operations.

The tech billionaire says a new party is needed to break up what he calls a "uniparty" system that features Republicans and Democrats.

Musk described his new party on his platform X as tech-centric, budget-conscious, pro-energy and centrist, with the goal of drawing both disaffected Democrats and Republicans. Musk has criticized the tax-cut bill, which is forecast to add about $3.4 trillion to the United States' debt.