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.

Here's what it would take for Elon Musk to launch a third-party effort to represent what he called "the 80% in the middle."