As the fortunes of the world’s richest have evolved, so too have their smiles. From Elon Musk to Mark Zuckerberg, several famous billionaires appear to have had their teeth revamped to achieve the so-called “million-dollar” or, in their case, the “billion-dollar” smile.
Dr Gizem Seymenoglu, a London-based GDC-registered dentist for Longevita Dental, reveals which dental treatments five of the richest people in the world might have had.
Elon Musk
Tesla’s leader, SpaceX CEO, and X chairman, who is also currently working with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is the world’s richest man, boasting a net worth exceeding $300 billion. But he didn’t always have a “billion-dollar” smile.
Back in the early 2000s, the tech mogul’s gnashers were slightly discolored, and while his upper teeth were mostly straight, his lower teeth were noticeably crooked. For the latter, Dr Gizem suspects that Musk likely had some kind of a tooth alignment treatment to upgrade his smile.
“He probably had braces or even clear aligners, especially to straighten out his lower teeth. Since there aren’t any photos of Elon wearing braces, it’s possible he had something like Invisalign or even lingual braces, which are fixed to the back of teeth, to keep things discreet.”
On the other hand, Longevita’s expert dentist believes that Musk may have gotten dental veneers for his upper teeth.
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“To me, Elon’s upper teeth seem different from how they used to be. Before, they looked slightly round, but now they’re quite square and even, which makes me think he might’ve had dental veneers.”
Moreover, it “appears that Musk had his teeth bleached,” so they’d looked whiter and more Hollywood-esque, according to the GDC dentist.
However, Dr Gizem also noticed some redness and swelling in his gum tissue, something she said could be problematic and needs more attention in his oral hygiene routine.
Jeff Bezos
Founder of Amazon and rival billionaire Jeff Bezos, whose net worth currently sits at $216 billion according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, has also been seen flashing a new set of gnashers.
According to Dr Gizem, Bezos seemingly had a “full mouth rehab” involving dental crowns on both upper and lower teeth.
Dental crowns, also known as dental caps, are artificial dental restorations that are placed over existing teeth to completely transform the smile. Dr Gizem, however, noted that they can be particularly pricey in the US, with costs ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 per tooth. In contrast, the same restorations cost about £200 per tooth in Turkey, which is why the country has become a popular destination for cosmetic dentistry.
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Mark Zuckerberg
Third on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has recently made rounds on the internet for his physical makeover, which may include his teeth as well. Although, according to the expert dentist at Longevita, his potential treatments were likely more conservative.
“Based on Mark’s older pictures, it’s likely that Mark had teeth whitening and composite bonding to make his smile more even. Moreover, I believe that he also had his canines filed down since they used to be long, pointed, and almost “fang-like” before.”
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Bernard Arnault
Bernard Arnault, the CEO and founder of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and the fourth-richest man in the world, has a gleaming white smile now, but that wasn’t always the case.
A closer look at the French fashion tycoon’s photos from 2015 shows a chipped front tooth, as well as discolouration. However, fast forward a year and his upper teeth look completely transformed, which Dr Gizem believes might’ve been the result of some kind of cosmetic restoration “though it’s hard to say exactly which one.” The dentist also noted that he might’ve had teeth whitening done.
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Larry Ellison
Co-founder and CEO of Oracle, with a net worth of around $170 billion, Larry Ellison also appears to have had a rather dramatic smile makeover.
Dr Gizem suspects he took a more conservative approach the first time, potentially undergoing teeth alignment and bonding work along with bleaching. However, it appears that’s not the case anymore.
“Previously, he had these buck teeth, in which the front teeth protrude unusually, but now, they are straight, even, aligned, and dazzlingly bright, which suggests the possibility of a full smile makeover.”
The desire for self-improvement is universal. Even though cosmetic dental treatments remain a personal choice, the noticeable changes in their teeth suggest that even the world’s wealthiest individuals may be recognising the value of these transformative procedures to improve their smiles.
